Review of Ivanhoe (1952) by Rachel S — 03 Aug 2011

Ivanhoe, like most films that are based on old classic stories, really strays very far from the source material. But the film still really works. The action adventure aspect of the film really shines through. This film is not nearly as swashbuckling or entertaining as the 1938 adaptation of The Adventures of Robin Hood, but it still managed to keep a sense of originality and freshness in its action. The film's acting is okay, but nothing spectacular. The one thing that separates this from other swashbuckling films is the romance. Unlike other generic romances where you know exactly what's going to happen, I honestly didn't know what was going to happen. That is what created the climax in the film, because while the sword fighting sequences were very enjoyable, like most other sword fighting films, you know what's going to happen. I thought the romance created the drama and the interest. But maybe that's just me. Other than that, this film doesn't really try hard to break the mold. It feels just like another basic medieval type story, but what they do get right, they get very right. This is a very entertaining old fashioned film that I don't think gets looked at enough. A really good film, even if it isn't super original.

8.2/10.