A Knight's Tale

By EWAN McDONALD

(Herald rating: * * * )

Moulin Rouge with chain mail instead of corsets, Queen instead of Elton John (is that such a stretch?), and starring an Aussie hunk (no, not Nicole Kidman, this one has Heath Ledger, below). Is this a trend? Well, in both cases, it's a bit of fun that almost comes off. In this case, a shade less successfully than Moulin Rouge.

Ledger plays William, servant to a knight who gets himself killed before the opening credits. Unless someone comes up with an idea fast the servants will be eating slow-roasted hedgehog. William has the idea and along comes a desperate and naked man who makes them an offer they're in no state to refuse — an offer that will allow the merry men to make the idea happen. The man introduces himself as Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany).

With forged credentials and the dead knight's armour, William and his sidekicks, Roland and Wat (Mark Addy and Alan Tudyk), train up and enter the jousting circuits, which is only a few centuries removed from today's pro golf tour. Except these guys tilt to the tune of "we will, we will rock you" and Chaucer becomes a Shakespearian Don King.

Because Heath is the Next Great Aussie Sex Symbol there are babes on hand, like Lady Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon), who turns up at the Rouen round in Medieval-Chanel and at the Bordeaux battles in Middle Ages-Alexander McQueen, and a blacksmithess, Kate (Laura Fraser).

Like almost every boy's tale from Hereward the Wake (slipped that one in for the over-50 male audience) to Gladiator, there is an evil and treacherous opponent — Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) — a series of jousting matches and the constant threat to unveil William's secret until The Big Showdown. When, as a onetime (only once, I swear) Thin Lizzy fan, I'm amused to hear him arrive to the strains of The Boys Are Back In Town.

Oh, it's childish and predictable and silly, but A Knight's Tale is also funny and innocent and charming, and if chicks are allowed to have things like The Shipping News and Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Sleepless In Seattle, boys can have A Knight's Tale. Only this once, mind you.

• DVD features: movie (132 mins); commentary from director Brian Helgeland and actor Paul Bettany; 11 short features covering different aspects of the production; six deleted scenes; trailers, 15-minute making-of documentary, Robbie Williams/Queen music video; filmographies.