It is hard not to compare modern films with their predecessors . On occasion the modern version is superior , but with this remake , the original is still the one to watch. Which is a pity because the cast of this 1982 effort is stuffed full of wonderful actors, from the main characters down to the smallest part. James Mason, Anthony Andrews, Michael Horden and Sam Neil, John Rhys Davies , Ronald Pickup , Julien Glover and Olivier Hussy are but a few of the accomplished actors who can carry a poor film on their own shoulders, but even together they fail to bring this movie above ' made for TV ' quality. All of the dialogue is spoken in the correct sequence, but there is no coming together of the cast as in Errol Flynns 'Robin Hood ' To be fair , the story line is varied, but the pace of the film is too slow, camera angles straight out of 1950s TV and poor production values . I read that this film is shown in one Nordic country every Christmas Day. The nights must be really long. So much talent produced a watchable but lifeless adventure yarn.

Why this isn't on DVD I'll never understand. This production is far superior to the joint A&E-BBC production that aired in the 90s. And as far as made-for-TV movies go, this one has some pretty lavish production values going for it. Rivaled only by the version starring Elizabeth Taylor a couple decades before.They don't make TV like this anymore, and it's a real shame. This particular production axes a lot of the extraneous plot elements from Walter Scott's original tale, and cuts right to the dramatic heart of the matter by focusing on the love triangle.The sets and locations are pretty lavish for a TV production, but are not overblown. Story and budget sync perfectly together as the tale of Ivanhoe is presented with great medieval authenticity.There are some minor glitches here and there. The armor for the knights is that fake stage stuff instead of the real McCoy, but that's not a big deal. Some of the leads are wearing feathered hair which was in style during the early 80s, but again that's just a mild fashion thing.The acting in this film is far superior to other productions of this story. Solid performances are combined with good costuming and respectable locations for a production that should really be preserved on DVD. Many a familiar name from pre-80s film and television will be present, and these actors performances add great depth and dimension to their characters.Definitely a must watch. If you find yourself a copy, and are a fan of the story, then do yourself a favor and see this version at least once.Enjoy!DVD Review, May 18th 2009WOW! From a worn and faded VHS tape dupe to a crisp, clean, color corrected copy on DVD. Incredible stuff. Buy a copy now. :-)

I guess all countries have a few strange traditions and this film is connected to one of ours in Sweden. Every New Year´s Day the last twenty years public service television have showned this movie in the afternoon, the perfect time for dragging yourself up, buying a pizza and maybe forget your extreme hangover for a while. Everyone knows the film inside out but are still watching it year after year; fills in on every funny line (like when de Boeuf shouts "Striiip him!"), laughs once again over great characters like Athelstone and Tuck and gets annoyed over how Ivanhoe can choose the boring Lady Rowena before foxy Olivia Hussey. I can´t really say anymore if it´s a good movie or not but I guess it´s perfect for a day after...

Pride and prejudice, betrayal and revenge, lust and purity, kidnappings, tournaments, and ransoms... what better ingredients could be assembled in one film? This retelling of Ivanhoe has many exceptional qualities, including first-rate cinematography and chivalric music. But the quality of this Ivanhoe lies in the casting. James Mason plays an excellent Isaac of York, and Olivia Hussey's Rebecca is every bit as passionate as Elizabeth Taylor's. Lysette Anthony has all the ingenue quality of a Saxon princess; yet one wonders whom Ivanhoe would have chosen to marry if race and religious prejudices had not been the order of the day. One of the strengths of this film was, to my mind, the triumvirate of villains Bois-Guilbert, de Bracy, and Front de Boeuf. Sam Neill is brilliant as the knight torn between his order and his obsession with a "Jewess heathen", and Stuart Wilson shines in the supporting role of the besotted de Bracy. This film was released on video at one point, as I rented it from a video store. I highly recommend it.