Film – King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword
Director – Guy Ritchie
Cast – Charlie Hunnam, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aiden Gillen, Jude Law, Eric Bana
Rating – **
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword just goes to show that a star-studded cast (which even includes David Beckham in an entirely unrequired cameo) and a talented director aren’t the only prerequisites for a good film. Ritchie’s steampunk-influenced direction thwarts any chance of a decent revisiting of the Arthurian legends.
While his signature style works for films like Lock, Stock... and Snatch, it comes in the way of the re-telling of an age-old tale. The dialogue, laden with words like “gonna” and “pal” seem so out of a place in a centuries old setting. When it comes to the exploration of old myths and legends, it makes more sense to go the classic way. There are more than enough things to be disliked in King Arthur, but none more so than the writing.
A hodgepodge of a plot with vague, and sometimes confusing, action sequences thrown in for good measure does the entire cast a grave disservice. You can’t expect much from your actors when the script is much below average, now can you?
As a young boy, Arthur witnesses his uncle, Vortigern, kill his father (the King) and mother, and assume the throne for himself. He narrowly escapes in a boat, only to be found and raised by a group of prostitutes from a nearby brothel.
Arthur is unable to shake the regular nightmare of his parents’ murder from his mind, and is unaware of the power of his lineage. Meanwhile, Vortigern rules his kingdom with an iron fist. Growing up in the mean streets with his team of misfits, Arthur lives by his wits and collects a sizable amount of money along the way.
An altercation with some powerful Vikings (under the protection of the King) leads him to the sword Excalibur. Being the only man capable of removing the great sword from the stone, he must choose to either follow his true destiny or walk way.
Ritchie’s distinct style is visible throughout the first half of the film; quick montages and flashbacks, rapid dialogue, and some wit. But what works for modern day English mobster flicks may not necessarily work for power-hungry England of the middle ages.
The fantasy and action sequences (though visually spectacular) succeed in obfuscating the already poorly put together story further. It goes without saying that King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword adds no real depth to the legend whatsoever!