It's making fun of people who pretend they live in the time of Shakespeare! It really wasn't that bad; in fact, I was chuckling throughout the movie. I especially enjoyed Chris Wylde's over-the-top performance as Sir Rank. He was deliciously bombastic, conceited, lame, and overacted his role as far as I think it would be possible. I loved it. I think Owen Benjamin's understated wise-cracking character was perfect and oftentimes hilarious. Frankly, the rest of the cast was just a backdrop for these two. No award-winner, this, but I certainly enjoyed watching it. Seems like most of the other reviewers had high expectations, which I didn't have...
15 Reviews
Seriously, I do love a good Renaissance Faire . . . . .
pilgrimtom20 October 2020
. . . . . okay, this wasn't a good one, but it was still worth a few laughs.
Ricci is wasted in this film but she manages to play it fairly well, as does Lilliard. I'm not sure what Ann-Margret is doing in this, but . . . and a few others in the cast didn't embarrass themselves.
Much of the rest of the cast did their campy best in a production that was meant to be campy, so, it's hard to fault them. Benjamin is, well, not an actor and it showed . . . sadly for him, some of the best laughs here are at his expense.
Much of the filming did happen at an actual Renaissance Faire . . . fun for me but most don't enjoy that kind of stuff.
Ricci is wasted in this film but she manages to play it fairly well, as does Lilliard. I'm not sure what Ann-Margret is doing in this, but . . . and a few others in the cast didn't embarrass themselves.
Much of the rest of the cast did their campy best in a production that was meant to be campy, so, it's hard to fault them. Benjamin is, well, not an actor and it showed . . . sadly for him, some of the best laughs here are at his expense.
Much of the filming did happen at an actual Renaissance Faire . . . fun for me but most don't enjoy that kind of stuff.
Fun enough
majidy_pam5 May 2021
huge disappointment...
hollywentlightly-17 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I have loved Christina Ricci since Addams Family and I feel like I've grown up with her. I don't understand why she did this movie! I saw it here at a festival in L.A. at a free screening and it was soooo disappointing. She looks great -- she's super skinny. But the dresses they had her in were bad. Those RenFaire dresses can be so hot looking, but she looked uncomfortable! How can they make a beautiful girl like her look plain? Anyway, that would be fine if the movie were good, which it is not. I only laughed like twice, and it's supposed to be a comedy. No one else was laughing either. I've been to RenFaire a couple of times, and it was silly, but it was fun -- this movie was not fun.
There's this character who has a unicorn puppet named "Horny", get it??? Cuz he has a horn?? Yeah, that's how stupid this movie was. And the kept giving that character more and more lines. So annoying.
And the guy she's supposed to fall in love with is (a) not funny and (b) not cute. You can fall for a guy who's not cute if he's funny, but this guy wasn't either. So the audience just did not believe they would end up together. He's more like a guy you would go out with out of pity, you know? Which is fine in a movie, but not as the romantic lead! Sorry to be negative, but I'm just upset at how bad this movie was. Even though we didn't pay to see it, I'm still mad. I hope Christina Ricci got paid a lot, at least!
There's this character who has a unicorn puppet named "Horny", get it??? Cuz he has a horn?? Yeah, that's how stupid this movie was. And the kept giving that character more and more lines. So annoying.
And the guy she's supposed to fall in love with is (a) not funny and (b) not cute. You can fall for a guy who's not cute if he's funny, but this guy wasn't either. So the audience just did not believe they would end up together. He's more like a guy you would go out with out of pity, you know? Which is fine in a movie, but not as the romantic lead! Sorry to be negative, but I'm just upset at how bad this movie was. Even though we didn't pay to see it, I'm still mad. I hope Christina Ricci got paid a lot, at least!
lame
Anna-b-seen7 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILER ALERT: If your idea of comedy is watching people get urinated on by a goat, then you will like this movie. I'm not even kidding! There's a whole scene where they pick up a goat to have it urinate on them because they think it will remove a curse.
What's a curse doing in a Renaissance Fair movie? Good question. It's a lame bit that makes no sense. I like silly movies and all (Harold and Kumar rock!) but this was not even that. I also like crazy stuff too like Boratt, but this was not crazy it was just stupid.
My friend dragged me to this because she's a Ren Faire person and works there every year, and she didn't like it either. I've been to Faires and they're kinda fun, but this movie did not even show what a real faire is like.
Like in the movie there was this rule that said a guy had to sleep with the girl who was playing a princess because it was tradition and he'd get fired if he didn't.
Hello?! You can't fire people for not sleeping with the boss! That's what I'm talking about -- it was just stupid.
If you see this movie playing somewhere don't bother going even if you like RenFaires. Just save your money and go to a real faire.
What's a curse doing in a Renaissance Fair movie? Good question. It's a lame bit that makes no sense. I like silly movies and all (Harold and Kumar rock!) but this was not even that. I also like crazy stuff too like Boratt, but this was not crazy it was just stupid.
My friend dragged me to this because she's a Ren Faire person and works there every year, and she didn't like it either. I've been to Faires and they're kinda fun, but this movie did not even show what a real faire is like.
Like in the movie there was this rule that said a guy had to sleep with the girl who was playing a princess because it was tradition and he'd get fired if he didn't.
Hello?! You can't fire people for not sleeping with the boss! That's what I'm talking about -- it was just stupid.
If you see this movie playing somewhere don't bother going even if you like RenFaires. Just save your money and go to a real faire.
don't waste your time with this one
youngdeadhead0714 May 2017
My buddy is one of the knights in the film and he wont even watch this film again so if you don't want to waste an hour and a half of your life don't watch this movie.
Fun fact cedric the entertainer was too big for his armor so the prop guys ruined the armor they borrowed from one of the knights who were doing stunts by beating it into shape so it would fit him.
Fun fact cedric the entertainer was too big for his armor so the prop guys ruined the armor they borrowed from one of the knights who were doing stunts by beating it into shape so it would fit him.
Fair to say, romcom lovers will adore it; Ricci is becoming my fav female star
inkblot1125 July 2012
Kate (Christina Ricci) is interviewing for a business job when she suddenly informs the three male questioners that she is feeling too warm. To their astonishment, Kate bolts behind a blackboard and changes from a tight business suit into a lovely flowering dress. You see, this young lady wants to be an actress, not a workaholic businesswoman. Defying her parents wishes, she abandons THEIR aspirations and signs on to perform at a Renaissance fair for the summer. Once there, she learns she is to be a "peasant" in the underling group; another circle of performers plays the ruling class, including the queen (Ann Margret). Naturally, although they all want to play their parts well, those actors in the upper class roles sometimes make trouble for the peasants. Meanwhile, also joining the peasant troupe is Will (Owen Benjamin). He is a football player at a major college and, when he failed to attend enough classes, has been given the chance to earn sufficient credits to stay on the team. His prof (Cedric the Entertainer) demands that he work at the fair. Having no other choice, he does so. Almost immediately, he becomes a target for abuse by the "uppers" as they sense he doesn't really care for his job. He doesn't, that is, not until he meets Kate. Before long, this fair might not be such a bad thing after all, thinks Will! But, there are complications. A big, obnoxious "upper" takes a shine to Kate while the queen's daughter tries to entice Will into her arms. Also, Will gets in scrapes, where he is punished by stocks and hurled rotten vegetables. Is there a future for W and K? This very lovely romantic comedy has the stuff to soothe its fans into a satisfied sigh. Ricci and Benjamin are attractive and winning as the principals. After the wonderful Penelope, Ricci is fast becoming a favorite lady for the genre. The rest of the cast, including AM, is likewise very fine, making a great impression. As for the fair sets, they are a fantastical delight, and ditto for the costumes, too. Then, too, the script has plenty of mirthful moments related to the medieval world, although occasionally the words uttered fall somewhat flat, and the direction is adequately energetic. All romcom fans, its fair to say you will find this flick a great watch, so get it before a fortnight arrives.
Incredibly bad
gjartin17 May 2010
Watched this movie because I'm great fan of Christina Ricci - she's one of the most talented actresses of today. 15 minutes into the movie I started to wonder what was going on, and 10 minutes later I shut it off.
Couldn't understand what in the world could have persuaded Ricci into accepting a part in this senseless garbage. Afterwards, though, I noticed that she's engaged to the idiot that "plays" the male lead.
Since he's supposed to be some sort of comedian, it's a shame that he's not a bit funny - and it's even more shameful that he had to drag Christina Ricci with him into a movie without any endearing features whatsoever.
Couldn't understand what in the world could have persuaded Ricci into accepting a part in this senseless garbage. Afterwards, though, I noticed that she's engaged to the idiot that "plays" the male lead.
Since he's supposed to be some sort of comedian, it's a shame that he's not a bit funny - and it's even more shameful that he had to drag Christina Ricci with him into a movie without any endearing features whatsoever.
Treats the subject material poorly
jay-schneider-677-2350925 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I actively like romantic comedies. I've worked at and participated in various Renaissance Fairs. I expect the usual tropes of boy meets girl, combined with one of the exploring an unfamiliar setting. However, I also expect the usual respect for the setting and character growth; this movie failed at this and instead was awkward to the end and insulting to the domain.
The lead actor was a travesty - his portrayal of a quarterback was neither believable and distracting. He did achieve uncomfortable, it wasn't that his character was uncomfortable you could tell the actor was uncomfortable in the setting and the role. His direction & costumes weren't any better - instead of the expected growth and acceptance that you'd expect and the characters tell you (heavy handedly) is occurring, the lead seemed directed to play as the Midwestern college student lead from every other romance - with no change in behaviour or mannerisms from start to finish.
And finally, their epic finale was simply lame.
The lead actor was a travesty - his portrayal of a quarterback was neither believable and distracting. He did achieve uncomfortable, it wasn't that his character was uncomfortable you could tell the actor was uncomfortable in the setting and the role. His direction & costumes weren't any better - instead of the expected growth and acceptance that you'd expect and the characters tell you (heavy handedly) is occurring, the lead seemed directed to play as the Midwestern college student lead from every other romance - with no change in behaviour or mannerisms from start to finish.
And finally, their epic finale was simply lame.
Neat stuff!
sarastro713 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I am a history student and I have been to Renaissance Faires, and I'm a big fan of Shakespeare. I thought this movie was great fun! It went a bit overboard in a couple of areas, and it didn't portray Shakespeare in a positive light, but it was all for one of the best causes around: comedy! I thought most of the comedy worked fine, and Sir Rank was absolutely my favorite character.
Shortcomings included the whole bit about having allegedly slept with Princess Jeanette. Did Crocket actually do it, or did he just do her nails, like Will? If Crocket were wronged, and Will then went through the same experience, why didn't they talk about it and set the record straight? In general, alcoholics don't have the surplus wherewithal to also be major participants in Renaissance Faires, so Jeanette's entire character was somewhat unconvincing.
But the whole concept of a story set during a Renaissance Faire is great! It adds several extra dimensions of acting-within-acting, and motivations-within-motivations. Were the witches real witches or just pretending? Did Crocket really believe in the curse, or just pretend to? A lot of the elements were played to some comical extremes here, and while it wasn't terribly realistic, it certainly served its comical purpose very well. I had a great time watching this, and I hope word spreads about this movie so it reaches a larger audience. I will definitely buy this when (if?) it is released on DVD.
8 out of 10.
Shortcomings included the whole bit about having allegedly slept with Princess Jeanette. Did Crocket actually do it, or did he just do her nails, like Will? If Crocket were wronged, and Will then went through the same experience, why didn't they talk about it and set the record straight? In general, alcoholics don't have the surplus wherewithal to also be major participants in Renaissance Faires, so Jeanette's entire character was somewhat unconvincing.
But the whole concept of a story set during a Renaissance Faire is great! It adds several extra dimensions of acting-within-acting, and motivations-within-motivations. Were the witches real witches or just pretending? Did Crocket really believe in the curse, or just pretend to? A lot of the elements were played to some comical extremes here, and while it wasn't terribly realistic, it certainly served its comical purpose very well. I had a great time watching this, and I hope word spreads about this movie so it reaches a larger audience. I will definitely buy this when (if?) it is released on DVD.
8 out of 10.
Do yourself a favor and just watch "The Wild Hunt" instead
KineticSeoul10 March 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed "The Wild Hunt" which was the main reason I decided to check this movie out since the premise is similar although both movies came out in the same year. While "The Wild Hunt" is more of a sort of serious and dark comedy this one is very lighthearted comedy and bright. The characters in the movie seemed to be into it and sort of enjoyed it but the problem is, it's not really all that enjoyable for the audience. Chris Wylde who plays Rank seemed to be the most into it and sort of reminded me of Danny McBride, and is the person that tries to save this movie the most. The reason I didn't enjoy this movie all that much was not because it is more kid friendly, but almost everything about this movie is not effective with it's direction. I can't believe some people would claim this movie is way better than "The Wild Hunt", because it really isn't. "The Wild Hunt" might offend some people that participate in this sort of stuff in the movie and might complain about the serious tone of it. But if they are not serious than why care so much, it's way more entertaining to watch than this movie hands down. This movie is like watching obnoxious faire workers trying to be funny and entertaining with random stuff going on, actually that is basically the whole movie. Which would be alright, but the problem is, it's not funny or entertaining and just plainly lame for the most part. I just really wanted this movie to end after just a few minutes, and is mostly a disappointing movie. Whoever is in the mood for a black comedy with a similar premise as this one, watch "The Wild Hunt" instead. I give this movie a 2 and a half and that is being super generous.
2.5/10
2.5/10
Watches this movie yearly
bdmacary14 March 2020
Me and my father have watched this every year in preparation for the renaissance fair. Every time we watch this we notice something new and always find ourselves laughing and chuckling. The romance is a bit rushed and awkward but still cute. The scenes with rank have us rolling our eyes and laughing at the same time.
It's bad but it's not almost good
Gordon-1120 February 2014
This film tells the story of an arrogant jock in college, who has to work at a medieval fair for three weeks in order to stay in college the following year.
"All's Faire in Love" is an interesting mix of anachronistic medieval background with plenty of toilet humour and raunchy jokes. It is a different spin on a romantic comedy, but the ingredients are so diverse to the point that they don't really mix together. The end result is a collection of ridiculous scenes that make me laugh because they are so bad. Christina Ricci is a good actress as always, and it makes me a little sad that she has to appear in a project that is not so great on the resume.
"All's Faire in Love" is bad, but it's not almost good.
"All's Faire in Love" is an interesting mix of anachronistic medieval background with plenty of toilet humour and raunchy jokes. It is a different spin on a romantic comedy, but the ingredients are so diverse to the point that they don't really mix together. The end result is a collection of ridiculous scenes that make me laugh because they are so bad. Christina Ricci is a good actress as always, and it makes me a little sad that she has to appear in a project that is not so great on the resume.
"All's Faire in Love" is bad, but it's not almost good.
An awesome b movie
acutabovegreencare14 March 2020
Not cinematic greatness but fun!
dchamberlin131 October 2020
I'm a huge fan of the Ohio Renaissance faire. I'm even writing a movie about it. I think it was a wonderful cheesy fun look at what happens at the Renaissance fairs around the country and those that are involved with in them.
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