Connor Bynum // Film Critic
KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD
Rated PG-13, 126 minutes.
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, Neil Maskell, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Tom Wu, Annabelle Wallis and Eric Bana
Some stories may continue to be told until the end of time. The tale of King Arthur may indeed be among them.
With numerous retellings of the classic legend including THE SWORD IN THE STONE (1963), FIRST KNIGHT (1995), KING ARTHUR (2004), and the recent, short-lived Starz series, CAMELOT (2011), it’s a wonder that studios continue to call us back to Arthur’s world of knights and magic. Having proved himself capable of breathing new life into a tired franchise with his reboot of SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009), director Guy Ritchie once again attempts to show us why his version deserves our attention. Unfortunately, KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD is a convoluted and chaotic mess that takes every opportunity to assault our senses and intelligence.
After finally ending the war between mage and man, King Uther (Eric Bana) is betrayed by his sinister younger brother Vortigern (an underused Jude Law), leaving his son orphaned and on the run. We are quickly treated to a montage of Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) growing up in the streets of Londinium as an orphan fending for himself and those he loves. England is now under the rule of Vortigern as he ruthlessly searches for the so-called “Born King” so that he may have him killed and secure his right to rule. Only the Born King can pull the magical blade, Excalibur, from a stone beneath the lake, so Vortigern orders that every man of a certain age be tested to pull the sword one by one. Arthur, inevitably, does retrieve the sword, only to refuse its magic power and run from his claim as the true King of England. It’s up to his band of misfit rebels to convince him to accept his destiny.
This would make a fine story if were not told in the most ludicrous of ways. Editor James Herbert seems hellbent on taking every opportunity to cut the film at breakneck speed without abandon. There are indeed a few times that this approach hits its mark, but the sheer lack of restraint in the film’s pacing ultimately ends up as simply belligerent and obnoxious. Composer Daniel Pemberton contributes to the chaos with a pulse pounding musical score that literally features a man’s heavy breathing to exhaust audiences even further.
However, the film is not without its enjoyable moments. Ritchie once again exhibits his talent for intricate fight scenes that are often one uninterrupted shot, albeit heavily reliant on CGI. These moments are truly jaw-dropping and have got to be seen to be believed. Ritchie also spares no expense in making his world feel lived in and real. Costumes are elegant and locations are epic in scope. It’s just a shame that the film is so determined to be unique that it loses sight of telling a coherent story.
I have never seen a movie more aggressively intent on reminding me that I was watching a movie. While Ritchie’s ambition certainly knows no boundaries, he simply takes his energy too far and too fast, leaving audiences breathless and confused in his wake. In spite of a handful of enjoyable action set pieces and a visually fascinating world, KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD is an endurance test that never truly feels worth while.
Grade: C
KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD opens nationwide on Friday.
