A metal singer is dumped by his girlfriend, so his stoner / gamer pals decide to abduct him for a weekend of LARPing and supposed fun. When the aspiring wizard in the group accidently summons a succubus from Hell, we get 90 or so minutes of utter stupidity dressed in a 13th Level Mage’s gown. The script of this fiasco feels like it was written by a 13 year old metal-head and I was surprised, given the material, how much of the FX happened off-screen. Also, the acting is wooden and needlessly overwrought. Yes, I know… “it’s supposed to be silly.” I’m not buying it. Someone threw a wrench into the making of this film and Director Joe Lynch doesn’t appear as the most likely culprit. I mean, there are a few beautifully constructed shots in the film, but they’re set amidst such ridiculousness that the viewer loses interest long before the story has a chance to even get up to speed. My guess (and subsequent research bore this out) that the studio intervened and muddled things. Lynch does his best with the modest funds allotted him, but trying to pull off a full-suited, practical FX monster on a dime is, well… misguided at best. And WHAT THE HELL is an actor of Peter Dinklage’s caliber doing in a film like this? Anyway, KNIGHTS does have a few laughs, but they come too far apart to save this sinking ship.
Rating: 2 out of 5
~ Thom Carnell
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