Helgeland's conceit is to marry the archaic sport with postmodern sensibilities. Fortune strikes young William when his master dies right before a big tournament. The ruse works and they win the tournament, allowing William's dreams to take flight. Though loaded with clich s about underdogs and heroic courage, A Knight's Tale keeps its tongue firmly in cheek at all times. Helgeland writes some nice, sparring, dialogue and manages to make the jousts as exciting a spectacle as he can.
Smiles abound on all the cast members and it's difficult to keep from chuckling at it all.
But the film never quite manages to find its voice. The disparate elements don't clash the way they might, but they don't always work well together, either. At times, A Knight's Tale takes its material very seriously. Other points, it's all a lark. The dialogue shifts from classic-speak to modern slang with frightening regularity, and the entire affair can't seem to settle on any set tone.