Lightdeossk Captivating movie !

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

MartinHafer For many viewers, perhaps a history lesson is due in order to understand this picture better. When William of Normandy felt he had a claim to the English throne, he crossed the English Channel from his lands in modern day France and defeated the English king, Harold. From 1066 up through much of the 15th century, the English Kings controlled not just England but much of their ancestral land in France. By the 14th century, the kingdom of France was small and weak...and the English king was not making a claim that he also had a right to the rest of France! And so, over the next century the French and English fought a series of wars collectively termed The Hundred Years War. The English were the early winners and it looked as if they'd take all of France but eventually the French not only regained lost territory but all of France....huzzah!This picture picks up partway through the Hundred Years War--when the English were clearly doing very well. After all, they'd captured the French king and forced him to cede them even more land. And, apparently, the theater audiences are supposed to root for the English and against the French--which is odd for two reasons. Folks in America had no stake in all this, so I can't see why American audiences would have cared for one side versus the other. Second, telling everyone apart is very difficult as EVERYONE has either an English accent or, with Errol Flynn in the lead, an Aussie/American accent. Because I had no dog in the battle, so to speak, I really didn't root for anyone though I know Errol (playing Prince Edward) was supposed to be the hero. And, rooting for no one makes the film tough to care about one way or the other.As far as the plot goes, Compte De Ville (Cruella's brother) is fighting on despite a truce ordered by the captured French King. Having the very English Peter Finch play De Ville was a bit odd and I would have preferred Jacques Tati or Marcel Marceau (at least they were French). Errol Flynn is Prince Edward (also called The Black Prince) and he spends much of the film posing as a mercenary in the hire of De Ville. However, instead of trying to save his life or England, he seems to spend all his energy trying to save a dumb Englishwoman who walked into a trap. You know that eventually the woman will be rescued...but it's a long and circuitous route until they get there. The film looks decent since they re-used costumes from "Ivanhoe", but the story itself was a bit dull despite the costumes and castles. Not a terrible film but one that really had me longing for Flynn's earlier (and better) movies...ones where he did more of the stunts and fighting instead of having him wear a helmet and having a stuntman do most everything. Of interest mostly to completists who insist on seeing all of the star's films (like me, actually)...or English folks. Otherwise easy to skip. My advice is to see "Ivanhoe", "The Adventures of Robin Hood" or "The Vikings"--all much more enjoyable and interesting sword epics.

Hunt2546 Saw this 59 years ago and some of its images have remained buried in my unconscious, coming out at odd moments over the six tweener decades. Thus, when it hit DVD I had to check it out again. Yes, Flynn is 46 and looks like he just got stung by a jelly fish, and yes, when the swords and lances come out, the visor goes down so a real stud can do the man work, but it's a completely enjoyable romp. Unlike the Warner Bros costume pix, this one was filmed in real castles which add immeasurably to its interest; the English countryside, green and sunlit, also helps, as do first-class costumes, lots of horses and a stout cast of English yeoman actors playing English yeomen. Everyone's a pro and while Flynn hasn't the sparkle and elan of his younger days, he's a solid lad around which to build a medieval oater, even if Alan Hale had been dead five years when this one was before camera. Good music, good (but not great) fight choreography and toward the end a cast of at least a hundred make it a rouser. Plot is piffle, and it asks us to sympathize with English occupiers over French homeboys which isn't easy to do, but Peter Finch, mad as hell and not going to take it any more, makes a convincing Dastardly Villain. I've remembered him (SPOILER) getting a battle ax in the chest off a Flynn right hand pitch for 59 years, just as I've remembered the all the King's knights cheering at the end after they drove the Frenchies off. A nice revisit. One oddity: It was released in US as "The Warriors," which is certainly how it's known, to the extent that it's known at all. So why file it, Dr. IMDb, under the name "The Dark Avenger," since, btw, there's no avenging done anywhere in it, and it's so sunny and costume-crazed there's no dark here either.

Kingum2341 But I think it's one of Flynn's best older films.Plot is good, solid medieval action. Edward Prince has won a battle over the French, now he stays in France to rule it. French Knights don't want English lords lording over them. So they first try to assassinate him, then kidnap his lady, Joan of Kent. Edward tries to rescue her, fails, has a sword fight, joins the enemy to learn their plans, tries to rescue her again, etc, until the final big battle where the good guys have to win if it's going to make sense.I do want to say that Errol is 46 in this film. That is not too old an age to fight as a knight. In the medieval times, the aged warrior was the most qualified to lead younger knights. He had the experience that was vital, for there was no professional Arny as we know it in those day. A man with experience in battle was more important than youthful energy. Nobles in those days would go into battle, on horseback in the front line, well past their 70th year. So Errol running around in armor at his age is not an error. In fact, The real Black Prince Edward was still fighting wars at Errol's age, albeit he died of illness when he was 7 days short of his 46 birthday. And Errol was a heavy drinker so maybe thats why he doesn't look the part. But I thought it was OK.The love story has stuff added in such as the kidnapping, but the love between Errol and Joanna is not contrived, as history tells us Prince Edward and Joan of Kent loved each other very much. Prince Edward had a crush on her since boyhood as they grew up together. but when he grew up he decided after he to marry her off to a lordly friend of his. But after he told Joan his intention, she professed her deep love for Edward, perhaps in a similar scene as the movie shows it. Edward decided Joan was better off as his wife, not his friend. They were first cousins so that was frowned upon, but the Pope gave his permission so they were married in England and THEN went to France to rule.In the movie Joanna Dru is too young compared to Errols age. The real Joan of Kent was two years the elder of Edward. So she should be 48 years old in the movie.Peter Finch is a great French Knight, not a demon rebel. You can feel sorry for him, how he hates seeing France under the thumb of Edward. But in the end, you don't shed a tear at his death. But you say, there were brave men on both sides and this movie jolly well shows that bravely.Watch it for a good time.

Penfold-13 Errol Flynn is Edward, the Black Prince, appointed Duke of Aquitaine to protect the English gains in the 100 Years War.The Count of Aquitaine doesn't accept English rule, and so we need to have a lot of scenes of knights in armour battling it out to decide who wins, and who gets the girl. (No prizes for guessing who.)It's colourful enough, and the swashes get vigorously buckled at regular intervals, but you've probably seen it all before.