Best movie of this year hands down!

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Richard Donner directs a masterpiece with actors Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer.Captain Etienne Navarre (Rutger Hauer) has been cursed to room the nights as a wolf while the woman he loves, Lady Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer), is cursed to roam the sky as a Hawk in the day. Each of them being Human when the other is not. Mix in the young thief, Philippe Gaston (Matthew Broderick), and you have a story of love and romance, of curses and revenge, set in medieval times.There are some spectacular visual images and sometimes the musical score just fits. This movie like Princess Bride is destined to be a classic that can be enjoyed by all ages.

You know, growing up in the 80's with a real thirst for fantasy adventure was pretty tough. There were plenty of books to scratch the itch for sure, but TV? Feature films? Hmm, not so much. Having watched more than enough sub-standard sword and sandals fare ("Ator the fighting eagle", anyone? "Prisoners of the Lost Universe"?) I can honestly say "Ladyhawke" is the only film I saw from that period that has remained a firm favourite ever since. And yes, that includes "Highlander"!! The reasons are pretty obvious. The film is directed by someone who at least knows how to set up the camera - I can't pretend that Richard Donner is one of my favourite directors but he does a top job telling this story. The cast is where this film really excels, though. I'm still convinced that Rutger Hauer is one of the great lost leading men in Hollywood history and in this he's awesome. Michelle Pfeiffer is ridiculously beautiful and handles herself very well and Matthew Broderick is excellent as the glue that holds the film together, ace at the comedy and really selling the drama. Also, John Wood is a brilliantly unsettling villain and Leo Mckern, Alfred Molina and Ken Hutchison do great character actor work. The overwhelming feeling is of a film properly made, with a decent budget, quality cast and great locations. The story itself is nicely streamlined, with no unnecessary longueurs and fine pacing. And Finally Hauer might just be riding the greatest horse in cinema history! That's not a spoiler, right? The only real problem with the film is the score, which I admit is...terrible. Why Donner went with a horrible synth and drum machine score for a medieval fantasy love story is beyond me. And probably him, now. That aside, this film is properly brilliant. Really.

This wonderful flick deals with marvelous adventures about star-crossed lovers caught in an nasty spell . The movie is set in the south of France and, based on certain astronomical events that occur, can be dated to 1239 . Philipe Gastone (Matthew Broderick , though he seem better suited to a teen film) , a wisecracking thief , nicknamed the ¨Mouse¨ escapes from the dungeon at Aquila, sparking a manhunt led by officer Marquet (Ken Hutchison) . As a crafty young pickpocket stole his way out of a tyrant's dungeon and plunged into an adventure beyond even his own wildest imaginings . He is nearly captured when Captain Navarre (Rutger Hauer , though Richard Donner originally wanted to cast Kurt Russell , when Russell dropped out a few days before began, the part was handed to Hauer) riding his horse named Goliath saves him . Stalwart Navarre is condemned by an evil curse in which he and a gorgeous maid (Michelle Pfeiffer is perfectly cast as a pretty heroine) are lovers but separated by night and day . No power on Earth can save them , no force in Heaven will release them . The young along with a priest (Leo McKern) help the protagonists in their quest to break the spell by destroying its creator , a villain bishop (John Wood) . As both of whom become their unlike allied . Imaginative as well as lush fantasy about a weird curse in which our heroes take on several adventures and dangers . This is an imaginative , glamorous , strange fantasy based on the wonderful adventures by a group of heroes against an evil bishop . Fantastic film contains sense of adventure , thrills , and lots of imagination . From start to finish fantasy , action , duels and delightful adventures are interminable . Exciting and interesting screenplay by Michael Thomas , Tom Mankiewicz and David Webb based on a story by Edward Khmara . Edward Khmara took the issue to the Writers Guild Association and was awarded a cash settlement from Warners, but the medieval legend claim wasn't dropped ; and Warner Brothers falsely marketed the movie as being based on a true medieval legend . As this is a mysterious as well as intriguing seven-hundred-year-old legend of horror and love . Starring a considerable cast of top-names performers such as Rutger Hauer , Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Broderick . Support cast is frankly enjoyable such as Leo McKern as Father Imperius the Monk , John Wood as Bishop of Aquila , Ken Hutchison as Marquet , and Alfred Molina as Cezar . Marvelous special effects are visually stunning , though a little dated , and magnificently realized with no computer generator . Several different hawks were used , one to sit on Rutger Hauer's arm and another for the flying scenes. Impressive production design by Wolf Kroeger , including luxurious scenarios , filmed on location in Italy , such as Campo Imperatore, L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Castell'Arquato, Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Rocca di Calascio, Calascio, L'Aquila , Soncino, Cremona, Lombardia,Torrechiara, Langhirano, Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Catatombe , Rome and three of the castles used for the film were owned by Italian film director Luchino Visconti . Colorful and glimmer cinematography shot in Technovision by Vittorio Storaro , Bernardo Bertolucci's usual cameraman . Anti-climatic though generally entertaining musical score composed by Andrew Powell by means of modern synthesizer ; however sometimes resulting to be effective and agreeable . This big-budgeted , overlong , appreciated film achieved hit at box office and today is very well considered and it will please the young and the young at heart . The movie was compelling and imaginatively directed by Richard Donner . The picture was nominated for two Academy Awards, for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing, but failed to win either Oscar . ¨Ladyhawke¨ might be described as an extraordinary fantasy full of imagination and color . It's a tale for teens and adults in which entertainment and amusement are guaranteed . Rating : Good , better than average . Worthwhile watching .

I am afraid there isn't very much to say on this particular movie in terms of critical acclaim. "Ladyhawke" (1985) fills a gap in my memory as possession (VHS cassette) that I highly valued because this was beautiful movie even for the criteria of long gone 1980s. Yes, the cast was marvelous - Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Broderick performed at the prime of their artistic potential. Their films from the 80s remain classic in the History of Hollywood Cinema (every which one of them, I wouldn't enumerate them). Yes, Richard "Lethalweapon" Donner remains iconic figure in Hollywood film making. Yes, music score from Alan Parsons was excellent electronic achievement. In that way of thinking it is not strange that there is little philosophy here to add and send it on a mail list.But something that was bugging me lately (that is, not only for this Movie but numerous others) comprise the lack of validity for the screenplay. Scenario doesn't come just as a story devoid of time and place. Unfortunately, this is how many of contemporary movies are being shot - you have got yourself a fantastic script; director of photography gets filming locations that fulfill the criteria of the budget and visionary from the side of producers; finally the film director stitches all that notches in coherent tale. Is that all really or there is something else. What about the Turkish reading of the whole responsible staff? I doubt whether even a dozen people concerning about working title should ever worry about this. After all they work with ready recipes and don't re-tell Grimms' Fairy Tales. This is where I want to put my emphasis.Now everybody knows who Grimm Brothers are or at least have heard about their stories for children c. 1812. Everything else in order, "Ladyhawke" (1985) comes as a fairy tale exactly from this imaginary domain (but not exclusively mentioned in the screenplay). For instance, another similar (Gothic) movie produced at about the same time and place furnishes much more details on the underlying historical period - cf., "The Name of the Rose" (1986) based on Umberto Eco's novel. All that said, it remains the much more simplified task to try to decode the whereabouts of "Ladyhawke".I did some Turkish (uninitiated) reading on Europe's Medieval History. Particularly interesting key-point with regard to the tract of land in Northern Italy where our story is supposed to evolve proved to be Lotharingia - firstly a Kingdom in Charlemagne's Empire, then abolished by Neurasia (today France) and Austrasia (today Germany) to an extent that it remained only as a Duchy of Lotharingia in Otto the Great Empire (First Reich). Today this territory corresponds to an extended Netherlands (plus Cologne municipality with Aachen where originally Charlemagne resided and was crowned by the Pope). Those are history facts that any European should know if we consider some common future on this continent. Then we should arrive at the direct consequences of two World Wars in 20th century which are banal enough to reiterate here.I want to finish my commentary with some scattered notes that I collected during my Turkish reading. These European territories which lie in North-West corner (sic!) of the continental plate were once upon a time covered with thick forests. Not joking neither telling Grimms' Fairy Tales. There were only Kings, Bishops, Knights, Ladies and Sorcerers. Nothing essentially from Church or Economy systems that we perceive now-a-days existed straightforward. Everything from material and cultural heritage is many times restored to hide the traces of obliteration. See the Romanesque Cathedral at end of "Ladyhawke" where final combat with the Evil Bishop partakes. Judge Yourself!