At the beginning of Ladyhawke, Gaston (played by Matthew Broderick) escapes from the mideval city of Aquila. Upon his escape, he is thrust into a thrilling adventure involving Captain Navarre (Rutger Hauer), and his hawk Isabeau. As the story progresses, Gaston realizes that these two characters are cursed. Navarre is a wolf by night, and Isabeau is a lady by night (Michelle Pfeiffer), therefore they can never see each other in human form unless the curse is lifted.
I really like Matthew Broderick as an actor. He brings a certain innocence to every one of his roles. The plot of this movie is very much told through the eyes of Gaston. Ladyhawke can be rather dark at times, and Broderick does a fantastic job of providing levity to the film.
I had only seen Rutger Hauer in one other film before viewing Ladyhawke, and that was of course Blade Runner. I was very excited to see him in this movie. He has such a towering, commanding presence in the film, while at the same time getting very emotional at times. Navarre is a great character, and Hauer plays him very well.
Michelle Pfeiffer can be hit and miss for me, although she is perfectly cast as Isabeau. She befriends Gaston in the film, and although he is there to protect her, there is no tension between the two because her heart clearly belongs to Navarre. Her stunning beauty in this movie would make it very easy for any man to fall for her. I am fueled with jealousy of Rutger Hauer.
I absolutely loved this movie after watching it, and was very excited to watch it again. There is something about 80's fantasy that strikes a very personal chord with me. It is a shame that this movie did not get recognized more at the time of its release, because it is such a magical, wonderful film.
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