Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5736 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-03-04
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Croatian, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 118 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
This lushly produced fantasy has gained a loyal following since its release in 1985, and it gave a welcome boost to the careers of Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer. You have to ignore the overly aggressive music score by Andrew Powell, music director of the Alan Parsons Project (critic Pauline Kael aptly dubbed it "disco-medieval") and director Richard Donner's reckless allowance of anachronistic dialogue and uninspired storytelling, but there's a certain charm to the movie's combination of romance and heroism. Broderick plays a young thief who comes to the aid of tragic lovers Isabeau (Pfeiffer), who is cursed to become a hawk every day at sunrise and Navarre (Hauer) who turns into a wolf at sunset. The curse was cast by an evil sorcerer-bishop (John Wood), and as Broderick eludes the bishop's henchmen, Navarre struggles to conquer the villain, lift the curse and be reunited with his love in human form. The tragedy of this lovers' dilemma keeps the movie going, and Broderick is well cast as a young, medieval variation of Woody Allen. --Jeff Shannon

Special Features
16:9 Wide Screen
English
Region 2

Synopsis
A haunting adventure fantasy about a pair of cursed lovers who are transformed into animal shapes during alternate periods of the day. Broderick, who provides comic relief, is appealing as the couple's young friend, and ultimately, their rescuer. Academy Award Nominations: 2, including Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing.

Customer Reviews

Nice story, appalling soundtrack
This film has an engaging story line and, for a 'fantasy' film with little pretence, has moments of poetry and romance that are quite memorable. However, the effect is significantly spoiled by the atrocious choice of music. The '80s electro rock soundtrack is bad enough on its own but it also clashes horribly with the settings, the theme and the mood of the story and the images. The name of Alan Parson (producer of Pink Floyd) was probably used to appeal to the viewers but the bursts of upbeat music that accompany the action scenes makes this film look much sillier than it actually is. The re-make of the soundtrack in surround sound has been carried out satisfactorily; pity they did not ditch the music altogether and replaced it with something (anything!) more suitable.

Medieval Fantasy
A knight played by Rutger Hauer and his lady played by Michelle Pfeiffer both run afoul of evil-bishop played by John Wood. Through the auspices of bishop's confessor played by Leo McKern, our main stars are placed under a curse. During the night, Hauer takes the form of a wolf, while Pfeiffer assumes the form of a hawk by day. The two lovers can only meet one another as humans at dawn and dusk. The only person in a position to help them from their curse is a pickpocket played by Matthew Broderick, who acts as liaison between the lovers. With the help of the guilt-ridden McKern and the correct solar phenomena Broderick endeavors to set things aright.

Praise for the choreographer!
Great film. Great music. Wonderful landscapes. Good baddie. My favourite scene is the horseback fight set in the cathedral. The way the monks in the background move to express their horror, fear and shock at what they are seeing demonstrates totally the sublime art of crowd choreography. They move separately but together at the same time. And you never once get to see their faces. Absolutely brilliant.

What I didn't like. The leading lady's Brooklyn accent. The day for night cinematography.

It needs to be remade. Just for the sake of it.