Review: Medieval

Based on a true story, “Medieval” follows Jan Žižka (Ben Foster), a Czech mercenary. Žižka is tasked to abduct Lord Rosenburg’s (Til Schweiger) fiancée in order to prevent Rosenburg from betraying the king during his coronation to become the Emperor of Rome.

The film tells the story of Žižka’s early life as a mercenary. There are many captivating fight scenes with well crafted choreography and standout acting that brings everything together visually. But the story becomes muddled and confusing as the film goes on. The countless betrayals and scene jumps leave little space to breathe.

“Medieval” is a breath of fresh air from the current superhero polluted film industry, instead taking an introspective look at Žižka. “Medieval” shows Žižka’s strengths, triumphs and despair. Using close up shots and explorations into Žižka’s dreams and memories, the viewer is placed into his shoes and experiences how he feels.

Ben Foster brings life to the film with his emotional and dramatic acting, elevating his scenes, such as the final conflict, which is full of character and heart.

The film tries to tell a bigger story than it is capable of, leading to a convoluted, hard to follow plot. You’re introduced to characters rapidly without being told what relevance they serve. This leaves the viewer with little sense of direction in the story, making them disinterested

“Medieval” was given a somewhat modest budget of $20 million but uses its visual effects, cinematography, sound design and soundtrack to the fullest extent, giving it a realistic look and feel. All of these aspects tied together made “Medieval” a somewhat decent movie.