May 15, 2017 · Watch the official trailer
It’s hard to watch “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” and not feel at least a little bit cheated.
On paper, an inventive reimagining of the classic Camelot tale directed by British auteur Guy Ritchie featuring two-time Oscar nominee Jude Law and “Sons of Anarchy” star Charlie Hunnam should be a terrific movie.
Unfortunately, “King Arthur” is an uneven film that leaves too much on the table. The film is hampered with a poorly mismanaged script ripe with underdeveloped characters and way too many hints about franchise possibilities that might not ever materialize.
At times, it’s hard to ignore the idea that $175 million went into the making of a medieval mess that could have been better spent on a third “Sherlock Holmes” film directed by Ritchie or any number of smaller, more cinematically worthy projects.
This revival of classic literature alters Arthur’s backstory, canonizing the future King of England with an all too familiar origin story most often found in comic book movies. Young Arthur’s parents are slain during a coup by his nefarious uncle Vortigern (Law), but not before the young boy escapes in a Moses-like trip down the river to be found by a group of prostitutes who raise him in their brothel.
Hunnam approaches the role of Arthur as if he were a budding superhero rather than the medieval leader of knights that audiences may be familiar with. While there’s nothing bad about his performance, it does often feel like Hunnam is thinking Arthur’s emotions rather than actually feeling them.
This is especially true when Arthur first pulls the famed Excalibur sword from the stone and is learning to handle the magic of his weapon. Hunnam acts like he’s constantly reminding himself to be uneased by his newfound powers. Viewers can see this thought process in motion every time Hunnam squints his eyes in frustration and/or pain though it’s never quite clear if the actor knows which emotion Arthur is feeling.
Law, on the other hand, turns in a largely stoic, monotone performance as Vortigern, verbally emoting with the same controlled loud whisper whether Vortigern is subjugating peasants or murdering family members in traditional Shakespearean fashion.
“King Arthur” also features a wide assortment of supporting characters that the film simply doesn’t give enough time to, including Djimon Hounsou’s Bedivere, Astrid Berges-Frisbey’s mysterious Mage or Eric Bana’s scene-stealing turn as Arthur’s father Uther.
Ritchie occasionally infuses his dry wit into the film’s script through hilarious monologues narrating montage sequences that will remind “Sherlock Holmes” fans of the slow-motion fight scenes Ritchie shot for Robert Downey Jr. It’s one of the few signature trademarks of the British auteur recognizable in the two-hour slog of a film that often borders on rough caricature of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
“King Arthur” displays moments of brilliance early before falling prey to a haphazard second act where Arthur has to find himself in traditional superhero origin story fashion. A solid, yet unspectacular third act helps viewers end on a high note in what could have easily been a rocky finish.
There probably won’t be any better way to see “King Arthur” than on the big screen, where its technical merits and engaging battle sequences are on full display. Any added crispness watching the film later on Bluray might offer is largely diminished by the heavy, dark tones of the movie’s under-lit cinematography that fade sharpness into the black.
Plus, if there’s any salvaging the film’s legacy and potential for additional installments, moviegoers need to see “King Arthur” in theaters in hopes that Warner Brothers might see the added revenue boost as potential to keep future Camelot projects alive.
“King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” might not be the universal crowd-pleaser that the studio might have wanted it to be, but the medieval tale is a largely engaging action adventure worth considering for viewers’ next trip to the movies.
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