Ladyhawke

Ladyhawke (1985)
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern
Memorable Line: "Are you flesh, or are you spirit?"

Ladyhawke is a strange movie. It seems as if the writer, Edward Khmara, couldn't make up his mind what the movie was to be -- an adventure, a tongue-in-cheek swashbuckler, a romance?

The movie starts as we see Phillipe Gaston -- aka "The Mouse" (Broderick) -- making a near impossible escape from a dungeon prison and making his way to the country side. For some reason, a Bishop decides he must send his crack guards to hunt a petty thief and the track down Phillipe but just as they are about to capture him a mystery-man named Navarre (Hauer) and his hawk intercedes and decides to take on a team of these well trained guards to rescue "the Mouse." Navarre and "the Mouse" make an unique pair. Navarre is a real man of mystery with an unnatural bond with his hawk. Also, it seems as if at night, Navarre disappears and Phillipe finds himself with a new lady companion who goes by the name of Isabeau (Pfieffer). To add the intrigue, this new pairing is followed by a dark wolf. Where has Navarre gone and who is this woman? Why is their fate intertwined? That is the mystery of Ladyhawke.

Broderick is more than the comic relief, he is our eyes an eyes into the pair - Navarre and Isabeau. Broderick seems a bit awkward in his role at times. Hauer does have a commanding and intense presence as Navarre. Pfeiffer is lovely as the mystery lady, but not entirely convincing.

Tone is the biggest problem with Ladyhawke. It just can figure out what it is. There are some intense moments and nice, but lazily directed action sequences. There a some good comic gags too, but the film seems to meander towards an implausible conclusion. I think Donner would have been better to picked a tone and committed to it and Ladyhawke would have been a more well realized movie.