1½ Knights: In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde

Plot

In the Middle Ages, the dodgy businessman Count Luipold Trumpf approaches the financially troubled King Gunther to court his daughter, Princess Herzelinde. Herzelinde refuses, and so Trumpf has her kidnapped by the Black Knight. So the shy and naive knight Lanzethe princess's bodyguardand the Turkish petty thug Erdal, the "half" knight, set out to free Princess Herzelinde from the Black Knight's clutches. Aside from their quest constantly being disrupted by the people they meet during their travels, Lanze and Erdal also fall victim to an insidious plot by the royal family. Erdal invents the Döner kebab along the way. Roberto Blanco makes a guest appearance as the beverage supplier for the Black Knight's hippie commune. In the end, with the help of his friend Erdal, the naive knight Lanze becomes sensitive and learns to talk to women, and is allowed to marry his sweetheart Herzelinde.

Cast

• Til Schweiger as Knight Lanze
• Rick Kavanian as Half–Knight Erdal
• Julia Dietze as Princess Herzelinde
• Thomas Gottschalk as King Gunther
• Udo Kier as Luipold Trumpf
• Tobias Moretti as the Black Knight
• Mark Keller as Prince Gustav
• Ralph Herforth as Walter Sattler
• Gregor Bloéb as Jailer
• Thierry van Werveke as Siegfried
• Stefanie Stappenbeck as Brünnhilde
• Tim Wilde as Jailer's Assistant
• Anna Maria Mühe as Maid
• Denis Moschitto as the Archer
• Hannelore Elsner as Witch
• Johannes Heesters as an old scientist
• Dieter Hallervorden as the Horse Seller
• Roberto Blanco as Roberto
• Helmut Markwort as the Chief of the Tabloid

Development

Music

The * Knights – In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde* soundtrack album was released through Interscope Records on 19 December 2008, and includes the song "Walta Sattla", performed by Til Schweiger. In its review of the album, Bild wrote that "unlike the film itself, the soundtrack is just beautiful, not a funny parade".

Critical reception

The film earned mostly negative reviews from film critics. German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung described it as an "embarrassing parade of celebrities", "[...] Til Schweiger has got both the critics and the press to hate him for this film. Not without reason. [...] The film is just as lame as its trailer". TV Movie.de wrote, "If the jokes were better and went beyond adolescent humor, it would become a real comedy". Cinefacts.de added that "Til [Schweiger] once again tried in the comedy genre, but that, unlike his previous films Barfuss and Keinohrhasen, it lacks gags". Dorit Koch from General Anzeiger Bonn wrote "Though the film lacks good gags, the famous cast will attract the audience". Cinema.de described the film as a "shallow medieval farce with a few funny ideas". "Til Schweiger directs and stars in his middle age film with childish jokes and Monty Python style. You can try to find it funny, but you won't", the Die Welt wrote.

Release

Other media

A video game based on the film was developed by Daedalic Entertainment and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

References

References

1. "1½ Knights - In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde (2008)".
2. (19 December 2008). "Diverse "O.S.T. 1 1/2 Ritter"". [[Bild]].
3. (20 December 2008). "Willst du meine Lanze schmirgeln?". Sueddeutsche.de.
4. (9 August 2008). "1½ Ritter – Auf der Suche nach der hinreißenden Herzelinde: Filmkritik". Cinefacts.de.
5. (18 December 2008). "Til Schweigers Zeitreise in ein Mittelalter, wie es in keinem Geschichtsbuch steht". General Anzeiger Bonn.
6. (18 December 2008). "1½ Ritter – Auf der Suche nach der hinreißenden Herzelinde". Cinema.de.
7. (18 December 2008). "Zoten und Keulen – "1 1/2 Ritter" schlägt zu". [[Die Welt.
8. (8 December 2008). "1 1/2 Ritter - Angespielt: Adventure zum Film recht nett".