This was a recent date night film. And in that regard it worked. We laughed, cuddled, and talked about it on the way home.

Yet, as funny as we found some parts, the conversation kept turning back to what we found lacking.

e.g.,

“I loved the line, ‘With magic, motherf——r,’” one of us laughed.

“Yeah, I wish there had been more evil wizard.”

Basically, every time we found something we liked, we realized what was absent, or basically just dropped about halfway through the film. Chivalric culture is violent, gross, and obsessed with group think? Sounds fun. Oh, no let’s just drop it. We can resolve it some lazy joke about homosexuality. Fears of female sexuality? We can resolve it some lazy joke about homosexuality – and penises. So on and so on.

We’d hope that the film would be a touch edgier , that the jokes would go further, that the plot might be better developed.

The production value was better than expected, though. If you were born in the 70s/early 80s, there’s also a comforting nostalgia for the comedic and action comedies of our youth. The disappointment that prevents me from just saying, “meh, it was average, three stars,” stems from the realization that there are not many fantasy comedies out there. There’s Princess Bride, Search for the Holy Grail, and . . . . I’m sure I’ll think of another at some point, but . . . .

David Gordon Green had funding, a decent caste, and a ready audience. The film simply should have been better.