King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
3 out of 5
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword comes to theaters on this Friday, and will likely get lost among a galaxy of guardians and potentially some fast and fateful cars — but that’s not because this is a bad movie. It just seems timed oddly. I mean, when was the last time you heard someone eagerly talking about Excalibur and the Knights of the Round Table, and how they’d love to see that on the big screen again? So I went into this movie a bit apprehensive, thinking that it would be a movie intended for teenaged boys and people who attend a Renaissance Festival in full attire (not that there’s anything wrong with either of those things). Instead, I was surprised by the quality of the action, the storytelling and the big names attached to it. Plus, it’s directed by Guy Ritchie of “Sherlock Holmes” and “Snatch” fame — among many others, so in the end it wasn’t that shocking that I walked away enjoying what I had seen.
The film starts off with a monumental battle, reminiscent of the Battle for Minas Tirith in the “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” complete with giant elephants and hordes of armies swarming the castle. There are two factions warring here, an out of control Mage (or wizard), and the people (and animals) he controls versus Eric Bana, King Uther, and Djimon Housou, his loyal liege, Bedivere, who are literally backed into a corner. When all looks lost the King unsheathes his sword, and by some supernatural power stops the Mage, and all who are with him. This leads to a meeting of all the trusted men of the King, with one man, Vortigern (Jude Law), the King’s brother recommending that all of the Mages be destroyed. Ultimately, the King decides there will be no more killing or wars, and this sits well with everyone but Vortigern, who really, really wants to be King. So much so that he kills his own wife, and stages a coup to usurp the throne and kill his brother. Of course, Vortigern is able to do this — killing his brother and taking the throne — but losing the mythical sword, and the King’s son, Arthur in the process.
After this transition of power, Arthur is discovered by a few women who work at a brothel in a very “Moses” like way, and raise him there amongst their own people, not knowing who he is (nor does Arthur for that matter). We are then treated to Arthur’s growth into a young man, and how he achieves power in his own right, albeit in a very underhanded way. Knowing that Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) is out there, King Vortigern orders that all males of the proper age range come to attempt to pull the famous sword, Excalibur, from a stone — as it has revealed itself once again, after being lost for so long. As you know, this is how Arthur is discovered. From here, it is a race to see who can seize control of the throne and the sword, as Vortigern wants Arthur dead, and Arthur eventually wants to take what is his for the people that Vortigern has wronged (which is pretty much all of England).
As I mentioned, with such big name actors, and there are more than just discussed above — you know the acting is going to be good. The action in the film is good, and the story — though muddled in parts — fills in nicely. Guy Ritchie, who has created some really good films, seems to struggle with the pacing or style he wants this movie to be told in. At times, it’s total Ritchie — with a mixture of beautiful, creative shots, high speed action, mixed in with slow motion that is his style. The story is also told in his style, with a bevy of flashbacks used to fill in the missing pieces of the story, and highly stylized editing and directing. Then, there are times when you feel as though you’re watching a sweeping, grand epic tale — again along the lines of “The Lord of the Rings” movies. The movie at times just feels as though it can’t decide which way it wants to be. It doesn’t ruin it by any means, it just makes the story and sometimes pacing seem at odds with each other. One minute, Arthur isn’t going to help, then all of the sudden he is…Things like that. In the end, though, I liked it, and by the ending I’d say if this one movie does well enough at the box office — we might be able to expect the next chapter, featuring Lancelot, at some point.
