Back in 2011 I made my first and only trek to San Diego for the mother of all comic conventions, San Diego Comic Con. It was there where I sat in Hall H for hours, watching a variety of panels, but one of the big stand-outs for me was the introduction of a film called Knights of Badassdom, a LARPing horror comedy starring Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, Ryan Kwanten and Summer Glau. The film was directed by Joe Lynch and I say was because shortly after SDCC he was removed from the film by one of the producers, along with the firing of a few other producers, and it was this producer who oversaw the editing of a new cut. Fast forward nearly three years and we’re finally getting an opportunity to see the highly anticipated film, at least in the geek community, but unfortunately not the film we were hoping to see, a version that the director had envisioned and approved.
That being said, Knights of Badassdom follows three best friends, Joe (Kwanten), Hung (Dinklage) and Eric (Zhan), two of which are hardcore LARPers (Live Action Role Players) while the other is a metal musician. When Joe is dumped by his girlfriend, he gets sucked into a LARPing event to help take his mind off her but while this happens Eric, looking to become a level 27 grandmaster wizard, reads a spell from an ancient and powerful book, unbeknownst to anybody, and summons a succubus into the forest. Now, on the Fields of Evermore, these brave LARPers must band together to stop this blood-sucking spawn of Satan before all hell breaks loose in, what should be, a relatively safe and fun fantasy battle.
Obviously you have to screen this film with a grain of salt since it isn’t the intended cut the director wanted us to see. As such, Knights of Badassdom is a fun, silly horror comedy that’s short but not necessarily sweet. Of the three LARPing films I have seen to date, Role Models, this and Lloyd the Conqueror, this one falls right in the number two spot. There was a ton of potential with this story and the comedic acting caliber they got for the film, but unfortunately it feels like something’s missing, that there are incomplete jokes, scenes that either are cut too short or drag on for too long, and other such missed opportunities for some belly aching laughs that could have elevated it to the level of the number one LARPing film, Role Models.
The real saving grace of the film is the cast. Everyone delivers laughs, from all three main leads, all of whom are likable in their own unique way, to practically every supporting actor, some of whom you’ll recognize from shows like Community and House of Cards. Dinklage is hilarious as the intense druggie best friend who uses shrooms to get into fantasy beast mode while Gunther, Gwen’s cousin (La
u) and every guy’s sexy distraction, never breaks his Viking-like character even when they’re not in game. There are a ton of hilarious characters but the one that steals the show and delivers laughs every time is probably Joshua Malina as the Game Master, or whatever the guy who judges the challenges is called.
I did mention earlier that this is a horror comedy and it certainly is. The horror aspects all involve the succubus, naturally, and it results in quite a few bloody and brutal killings, especially during the climactic finale involving a bigger beast and metal weaponry. Hearts get ripped out of chests, heads get stomped and people you like die. That’s the story. There’s not a whole lot to it but the balancing act between the horror and the comedy does seem skewed a bit, the first 65% of the film is comedy oriented, even with some deaths, while the final 35% is very much horror driven.
Knights of Badassom is a film that had a lot going for it. It’s one of those films that looks awesome on paper, the name grabs your attention, and the trailer sells you concept with a few laughs. It’s got a talented cast in eccentric roles, allowing the opportunity for ample comedy but there also seems to be a lot of potential wasted and that’s where the film falls from the pedestal which I, and anyone looking forward to the film, had placed it. Sure, you’ll laugh, you’ll have a decent time since it’s an easygoing horror comedy, but you’ll leave wondering what the film could have been had its director had the opportunity to see things through to the end.
Rating: A silly, fun, brisk and generally entertaining feature but the film falls in the middle of the road territory for not reaching its full potential (5/10)
Knights of Badassdom will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on April 1st from eOne.
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