Thanks to the veritable avalanche of advertising, you probably already know the gimmick that A Knight's Tale has hiding up its plate mail sleeve - namely, 14th-century classic jousting set to 20th-century classic rock.

Whoa. With Ladyhawke playing on the Superstation every five minutes, you'd think someone would realize a medieval fantasy with contemporary music is a recipe for, if not disaster, then ripe, stinky cheese.

Well then, helmets off to writer/director/producer Brian Helgeland (co-writer of L.A. Confidential) for making A Knight's Tale far more entertaining and engaging that anything this silly has a right to be.

Opening in theatres today, A Knight's Tale is the story of peasant squire William Thatcher (played by The Patriot's Heath Ledger, in what will be remembered as his true breakthrough role), who slaps on armour and competes in a rural jousting match after his master's untimely death.

Before you can say "following his childhood dream" and/or "riding the horse-drawn gravy cart," William decides to keep up the knight facade for as long as possible, dragging his pals Roland (The Full Monty's Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk) along for the ride.

Along the way, a gambling-addicted Geoffrey Chaucer (the scene-stealing Paul Bettany) joins their ranks, forging the papers of nobility William needs to enter the big-money jousting competitions and acting as a very World Wrestling Federation-esque ringside announcer.

Whoa, again. Chaucer? Canterbury Tales Chaucer? Doing Michael Buffer-style "let's get ready to rumblllllle" introductions to the crowd at the lists?

Welcome to Anachronism Towne, where many of A Knight's Tale's best moments reside. In one of the first scenes in the film, the crowd at a jousting tournament is banging out the thump-thump-clap beat to Queen's We Will Rock You. And it isn't just some ironic touch for the audience's benefit - the crowd actually sings along with the lyrics! How do they know the words to a Queen song? Is We Will Rock You actually a cover of a little-known 14th-century ditty? Best not to ask.

Soon enough, the rest of the character slots in the underdog-becomes-a-champion formula are filled in, with the regal love interest Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon), the spunky tomgirl sidekick Kate (Laura Fraser) and, of course, the sneering villain Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell). Buildups and payoffs are lined up one after the other, all leading to - can you believe it? - an against-all-odds jousting showdown between William and Adhemar.

But, hey, it works - an action-adventure-comedy wrapped in the trappings of a David vs. Goliath sports flick, with a suit of armour slapped over top of it all. Think The Princess Bride meets Rocky and you're on the right track. Plus, the plentiful Gladiator-inspired jousting scenes, with their thundering hooves and slo-mo exploding lances, are as good as any bone-crushing NFL replays.

And while much of A Knight's Tale is surprisingly straightforward, every time you think you're watching a pseudo-historical action fantasy, another wink-wink modernism slips in. Like the blacksmith engraving Nike swooshes into William's armour, or William comparing Jocelyn to a fox, dubbing her "my foxy lady," or the lovers doing the Renaissance fair version of the hokey pokey at a banquet, until David Bowie's Golden Years plays on the soundtrack - and everyone starts to boogie to it.

A big, silly, predictable lug of a movie, A Knight's Tale wins the day by oozing so much fun charm and warm wit that it's impossible to sneer and snort at it.

Ledger does a great job, too, cementing his newfound matinee idol status.

One warning, though: Other than the fact the knight in question is a noble but humble guy, A Knight's Tale has nothing to do with The Knight's Tale, the first of the real Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. So don't crib from this movie for your English assignments, kids. (More on: A Knight's Tale).

(This film is rated PG)

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