There's no rule against rock anthems from the 1970s in the soundtrack for a movie about a medieval jousting champion, but if you're going to attempt such jarring anachronisms, you'd better establish acceptable ground rules. Writer-director Brian Helgeland does precisely that in A Knight's Tale and pulls off this trick with such giddy aplomb that you can't help but play along. Upon witnessing a crowd of peasants at a jousting match, singing and clapping to the beat of Queen's "We Will Rock You", you're either going to love this movie or dismiss it altogether. Other vintage rock hits will follow, but Helgeland-the Oscar-winning co-writer of LA Confidential-handles this ploy with judicious goodwill, in what is an otherwise honest period piece about a peasant named William (Heath Ledger) who rises by grit and determination to the hallowed status of knighthood. As if the soundtrack weren't audacious enough, Helgeland (recovering from the sour experience of his directorial debut, Payback) casts none other than Geoffrey Chaucer (wonderfully played by Paul Bettany) as William's cohort and match announcer, along with William's pals Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk), and feisty blacksmith Kate (Laura Fraser). Of course there must be a fair maiden, and she is Jocelyn (newcomer Shannyn Sossamon), with whom William falls in love while battling the nefarious Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) on the European jousting circuit. Add to this an inspiring father-son reunion, Ledger's undeniable charisma, a perfect supporting cast, and enough joyful energy to rejuvenate the film's formulaic plot, and A Knight's Tale becomes that most pleasant of movie surprises-an unlikely winner that rises up, like its hero, to exceed all expectations. -Jeff Shannon, Amazon. comOn the DVD: From "The Rock Music Scene in 1370" to "You Never Know What You'll Find in a Czech Prop House", this disc doesn't scrimp on the special features. Offering a wealth of information regarding the making of this $41million film, from the jousting (which many of the actors actually performed) to justification for the rock soundtrack and Audrey Hepburn-esque dresses in Medieval Europe. [+]

Story? What story? All a film like Shanghai Noon needs is the amazing stunt set pieces featuring kung fu superstar Jackie Chan and the ramblings of Owen Wilson (and to be sure, that's all it gets). It's a buddy comedy about Roy O'Bannon (Wilson), a minor, borderline incompetent desperado, and Chon Wang (Chan-Roy thinks he hears (and scoffs at) the name "John Wayne"-a member of the Chinese Imperial Guard searching for a kidnapped princess (Lucy Liu). They become reluctant partners in the Old West (Roy, who considers Chon his sidekick, is hurt to discover that the bounty on Wang's head is more than his own), brawling, drinking, bathing and bonding and in general having mildly amusing adventures together, while eluding a posse and other random enemies. There's not a lot of focus to the plot or much motivation for characters to turn up where and when they do-just what was achieved by the much-discussed trek to Carson City, anyway?-but Chan's inventively staged battle sequences (particularly an early one in which he uses flexible, resilient trees to best some Crow Indians) are predictable highlights. You'll wish there were more to some of them, but as with his many other films, you'll want them on video to watch in slow-motion to see how he pulls them off. And in a potentially star-making role, Wilson's loquacious, hyper-self-conscious meanderings-he's funny even when his lines aren't-make him seem less like a character than a very amusing deconstruction of one. Chan and Wilson are entertaining together, even though they're both off in their own little worlds. Think of it as Butch Cassidy and the Shanghai Kid, and you won't be too far off. -David Kronke, Amazon. com.

In Tank Girl, director Rachel Talalay's aggressively hip adaptation of the cult comic book, it is 2033 and the earth has been clobbered by a comet; civilization has been destroyed, and it hasn't rained in 11 years. Nearly all the water on the planet is controlled by the evil Water and Power Company, which is in turn controlled by the even more evil Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell). Who stands in the way? Mysterious mutants called the Rippers and, of course, Tank Girl. Lori Petty plays the eponymous, wisecracking, defiant heart of the movie as kind of an inner child gone wild. Unfortunately Petty can't quite carry a movie on her own-her zingers frequently fall flat and she seems to be continually worried that we still like her. Luckily there's Naomi Watts as Jet Girl to save the day: smart, shy and inherently way more appealing than Tank Girl. For all it lacks, Tank Girl is visually an eye-popper, worth watching for the insane set and costume designs alone. -Ali Davis, Amazon. com.