Knights & Armor

If you think your teenager spends an inordinate amount of time getting dressed, be thankful you're not raising a medieval knight. These guys took upwards of an hour or more to don their full metal jackets in preparation for that 12th-century family backyard barbecue known as the jousting tournament. Here, men on charging steeds raced toward one another with tilted lances and attempted to unseat their rivals. This practice may not account for why the period was called the "Dark Ages," but it certainly suggests a measure of dimness. Knights & Armor, a big, rambling, colorful documentary attempts to sketch the broad outline of the age of chivalry, while focusing on the career of a particular knight named William Marshal. Viewers will see re-enactments of jousting, learn the origins of heraldry, find out why the Order of the Garter has diddly to do with a certain piece of lady's undergarment, and see innumerable examples of medieval armor for both man and horse (and kids, since it was also a style thing; when medieval teens said nothing comes between me and my Calvin Klein Armor, they meant it). Combining interviews with scholars, trips to major museums, and lots of re-enactment footage, Knights & Armor is too loosely constructed to be a great documentary, but it is a good one, and is likely to be a popular addition. Recommended. (R. Pitman)