"Ladyhawke" is a solid medieval fantasy taking place in Aquila, where Gaston (Matthew Broderick), a petty thief, escapes from prison. Eventually, he makes the acquaintance of a solitary traveler named Navarre (Rutger Hauer), and a mysterious beauty named Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer). He can only be seen during the day, and she only appears at night. The reason for this is that these two romantically entangled souls were cursed once upon a time by a vengeance-crazed bishop (John Wood).
For the most part, this is an engaging example of the genre from director Richard Donner, complete with good swordplay, and impressive widescreen photography. Hauer & Pfeiffer are wonderful as the couple at the core of the story, and they receive excellent support from Wood, Leo McKern (a scene stealer as the helpful Imperius), Ken Hutchison, and Alfred Molina. However, Broderick is not a good fit for this sort of setting, and he just feels out of place throughout. It doesn't help that he can't seem to decide if he wants to attempt an accent or not. Also, the score, composed by Andrew Powell, and overseen by Alan Parsons, likewise feels too contemporary for this sort of thing. A lot of the time, it just doesn't work.
Which is too bad, because this film *had* potential. It's slickly filmed, entirely in Italy with a largely Italian supporting cast. The production & costume design are certainly evocative. All in all, it does manage to be memorable even with its flaws; it's an appealing story from start to finish.
Seven out of 10.
For the most part, this is an engaging example of the genre from director Richard Donner, complete with good swordplay, and impressive widescreen photography. Hauer & Pfeiffer are wonderful as the couple at the core of the story, and they receive excellent support from Wood, Leo McKern (a scene stealer as the helpful Imperius), Ken Hutchison, and Alfred Molina. However, Broderick is not a good fit for this sort of setting, and he just feels out of place throughout. It doesn't help that he can't seem to decide if he wants to attempt an accent or not. Also, the score, composed by Andrew Powell, and overseen by Alan Parsons, likewise feels too contemporary for this sort of thing. A lot of the time, it just doesn't work.
Which is too bad, because this film *had* potential. It's slickly filmed, entirely in Italy with a largely Italian supporting cast. The production & costume design are certainly evocative. All in all, it does manage to be memorable even with its flaws; it's an appealing story from start to finish.
Seven out of 10.