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Guy Ritchie is that fun friend whose texts you don’t always return because his energy level is always cranked up to 10, and even when you’re in the mood for him, he still wears you out. His best entertainments are 1990s lad mag confections, chock full of funny, well-dressed, hardboiled men (and a couple of women) who bust each other’s chops when they aren’t joining forces to steal something. They’re the kinds of films you forget exist until you stumble across them and end up watching the whole thing again because the tone is just right—edgy but lighthearted—and never for a moment does the movie pretend that watching it is going to make you a better person. “ Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels ,” his two Sherlock Holmes films, “ Snatch ,” the bizarre self-help action film “ Revolver ” and 2015’s unexpectedly marvelous “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” are assortments of savory treats presented in the most stylish boxes Ritchie can devise.

But there are times when Ritchie makes his own style the star of the film, crowding out the actors and the story because neither is terribly interesting. The result is an oxymoron: a frenetic slog. That’s unfortunately what happens to “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” a knowingly anachronistic riff on the legend starring Charlie Hunnam . This version envisions Arthur as a working-class hero with entirely contemporary sensibilities. He was raised in a brothel after his father and mother were murdered by his uncle Vortigern ( Jude Law ). Vortigern is an unworthy King of England and a pampered sadist who owes a supernatural debt to the Lady of the Lake, envisioned here as a mass of CGI tentacles enfolding three women, one plump and the others slender and curvy.

Ritchie and his cowriters, Lionel Wigram and Joby Harold , aren’t interested in historical fidelity because the historical Arthur was a mystery anyway and they’re mainly having fun here. They take Arthur’s childhood trauma seriously (he keeps re-experiencing it in nightmare form, like Bruce Wayne remembering his own parents’ murder by a mugger) but ultimately treat it mainly as the centerpiece for a standard-issue “hero’s journey,” one that owes quite a bit to the " Star Wars ," " The Matrix " and "Lord of the Rings" films. When he pulls the sword from the stone, he, we and the baddies all know that he is truly The One; when he grips it with both hands and then swings, the earth trembles and the camera starts whirling in circles around and around CGI Charlie Hunnam and his adversaries, in the manner of a video game with 3-D graphics.

This Arthur wears what looks like a brown leather bomber jacket, sports a 2016 movie star haircut, calls everybody “mate,” and makes a big show of not wanting to get involved in politics, much less embrace his destiny. That is, until circumstances require him to round up a crew of hyper-competent misfit outsiders and depose the kind heist-movie style, treating every skirmish and siege as if it were another vault that the “Snatch” guys were hoping to empty. The future Knights of the Round Table are just as contemporary. They’re a multicultural crew: this film’s Sir George is nicknamed Kung Fu George, tutors Arthur in martial arts, and is played by Hong Kong-born actor Tom Wu ; Sir Bedivere is a Moor played by Beninese movie star Djimon Hounsou . And the Anglo actors’ characters get a dusting of Dickensian chimney soot to enhance their rough-and-ready bona fides. The future Sir William ( Aiden Gillen ), master of the longbow, goes by Goosefat Bill Wilson.

I love all this stuff in theory—it’s not far from what Martin Scorsese did in “ The Last Temptation of Christ ,” populating ancient Jerusalem with New Yorkers, Midwesterners and Brits who spoke in their native accents and used modern slang, slicing and dicing the action into music video beats, and scoring the whole thing with Peter Gabriel ’s chants and synth beats. The Ritchie sense of style suits a revisionist approach. He’s as slick and easygoing as a rock and roller showman can be, and because the totality of the film is so knowingly absurd—in addition to the slow-motion, acrobatic swordfights, there are gigantic CGI snakes, rats, wolves, and Godzilla-sized Indian elephants—the whole thing feels like a lark even when the characters are being beaten, tortured and executed. There are even moments when Hunnam, not an actor exactly known for his scalawag charm, evokes Errol Flynn’s devil-may-care jerk incarnation of Robin Hood. Astrid Bergès-Frisbey ’s version of Guinevere, a witch whose eyes go black when she summons dark forces, is a fresh variation on the character, though it would’ve been nice if Ritchie had allowed her to crack a few jokes like the boys.

No, the real problem is that the movie is unmodulated from start to finish. It never lets up in the exact way that a cocaine addict who wants to tell you his life story before closing time never lets up. Michael Bay has often been accused of turning in feature length motion pictures so over-edited that they feel like trailers for themselves, but I don’t think Bay has ever made a movie as frantically, pointlessly, tediously busy as “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.” Not content to do that time-tested Guy Ritchie story-about-a-story thing in every other scene of the picture—you know, the bit where a character tells an audience, “And then I sez to him,” and the movie cuts to the same character five days earlier saying, “Put down the money, mate!”—the film does it constantly for two hours, dicing dialogue, performances and story points into microscopic narrative particles that disintegrate in the mind.

On one level, you have to admire the skill necessary to tell a story in this manner. You can’t just make a six-hour film and then cut it down to two. You have to think about how every piece, no matter how small or large, will fit with every other piece when the whole narrative is stitched together. But the downside of this strategy is that it doesn’t allow room for any single moment to truly live and breathe, and it’s in such moments that we really get to know a character and care about what happens to them. The emotional heavy lifting that might be done by acting, writing and careful direction is done here in shortcut form by whooshing, tilting, diving camerawork, ominous “whoosh” and “boom” noises on the soundtrack, and other signifiers of awesomeness.

There’s so much narrative and visual motion, such fast cutting, such loud music, and so many rapid shifts of time and place that on those rare occasions when the movie slows down and lets two characters speak to each other, in relative quiet and at length, it feels as if something’s gone wrong with the projection. Ritchie keeps rushing us along for two hours, as if to make absolutely certain that we never have time to absorb any character or moment, much less revel in the glorious, cheeky ridiculousness of the whole thing. The entire movie is an information delivery device with top-dollar production values, forever mistaking getting to the point for the point itself. It’s the legend of King Arthur as told by an auctioneer. I’m not sold.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword movie poster

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some suggestive content and brief strong language.

126 minutes

Charlie Hunnam as Arthur

Jude Law as Vortigern

Astrid Bergès-Frisbey as Mage

Djimon Hounsou as Sir Bedivere

Aidan Gillen as Goosefat Bill Wilson

Eric Bana as King Uther Pendragon

Annabelle Wallis as Maid Maggie

Tom Wu as George

David Beckham as Blackleg leader

Guy Ritchie
Joby Harold
Lionel Wigram

Writer (story by)

David Dobkin

Cinematographer

John Mathieson
James Herbert
Daniel Pemberton

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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Reviews

The action is pretty good, and Jude Law is a hoot playing such a detestable slug of a human being.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 22, 2022

Though no viewer should enter a Ritchie film expecting traditions to be upheld, the director's usual way of shaping a story does Arthurian legend a disservice.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 4, 2022

A good production with some eccentric style, but a mostly bland and unfocused fairy tale reappropriation.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 29, 2021

Ritchie is retelling an iconic piece of British literature in his own dizzyingly charged-up style, using all that excess energy to shake the source material off its foundations.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Nov 3, 2021

To borrow from a far superior film about this king -- 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail, of course -- it would be easier to cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with a herring than to willingly watch another entry in this errant enterprise.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Aug 17, 2021

This is a fun and excellently camp fantasy carry-on, given added flash thanks to the stunning scenery of Wales's Snowdonia and the Scottish highlands. There's also plenty of computer wizardry...

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 9, 2021

The characters are generic and unsympathetic; the antagonists are evil solely because they're supposed to be; and random superpowers spoil the fun of hand-to-hand combat.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Dec 5, 2020

My vote? Boring.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.0/4.0 | Sep 13, 2020

This is one of the duller and uglier blockbusters in recent Hollywood summer fare. Put that sword back where you found it Arthur, it's a bit blunt.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Aug 30, 2020

It's overly flashy, but by God is it entertaining.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Jul 17, 2020

Whilst Ritchie tries to retell a classic legendary tale in modern cinema graphics, he loses all focus on character development and captivating storytelling.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 7, 2020

I would watch this again just for Pemberton's music and the way it's applied to the story. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jul 2, 2020

It's crazy, but not quite crazy enough. And though there are delirious highs, there are crushing, cringe-inducing lows.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Jul 1, 2020

I enjoyed watching it.

Full Review | May 12, 2020

It was a pretty good movie.

If there is a next King Arthur movie, maybe whoever is in charge can scale things back a bit and spend more time compiling a group of interesting characters. What we have here is just so much muck.

Full Review | May 7, 2020

The thing is, even in these moments where it looks like Ritchie's sensibilities are emerging from the muck (it's a very muddy movie, visually), it becomes clear how mismatched his style is to this sort of thing.

Full Review | Mar 26, 2020

I think the right cast could have risen above all this nonsense. With one exception, everybody does fine with their underwritten roles...

Full Review | Feb 19, 2020

King Arthur would've been a mess if its cast hadn't gone all-in with dedicating themselves to their roles...

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jan 24, 2020

After a rocky and confusing first 10 minutes, sit back and enjoy a fresh and enjoyable take on a very tried and true fantasy story that's been told to death.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 10, 2020

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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is surprisingly good, and surprisingly political

Guy Ritchie spins an origin story for England in 2017 and launches a superhero franchise.

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Charlie Hunnam in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Not every movie is a political statement in 2017, but some of them sure are. So it’s altogether fitting that King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a goofy, splendid medieval romp that also makes a distinctly English case for a moderate populism.

The legend of the 5th-century British king who defended his country against the Saxon invaders has been literally retold for centuries. This time it’s going to be a franchise, with this first installment directed by Guy Ritchie, whose best work (like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels ) glories in snubbing its nose at upper-crusty types who bend the rules only when it suits their own purposes.

The legend of Arthur, it turns out, is a pretty ideal fit for Ritchie’s talents, and for 2017, too. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword hits the sweet spot where fans of superhero blockbusters, Lord of the Rings , and Game of Thrones overlap. It’s kind of generic, sure, and Camelot’s greatest fans may consider the film blasphemy. But as a piece of silly summer entertainment , it’s often good.

Occasionally, it’s even pretty great.

Does King Arthur: Legend of the Sword accurately hew to the Arthur legend? Who cares?

The Arthurian legend is so old that it’s long since passed into the realm of myth, with historians and scholars fighting endlessly over which pieces of the story are real and which are fabrication. What King Arthur: Legend of the Sword presupposes is this: Does any of that even matter?

The film’s answer: Not really! History is beside the point. Arguing about “accuracy” in a movie like this is a fool’s game, and knowing this, Legend of the Sword finds its own modern story in the midst of the legend.

The characters in Legend of the Sword are technically living in the 5th century C.E., and they sort of dress like it, but you wouldn’t know it from the way they talk, or from their haircuts. Arthur ( Charlie Hunnam , having a very good year between this film and Lost City of Z ) is a wisecracking badass who is perfectly fine responding to a request from the Viking king with a breezy “Yeah, I don’t think so, mate.” As Arthur’s dastardly uncle Vortigern, Jude Law skulks around and darkly perches on his throne with the look of a guy who used to wear a lot of eyeliner. And a bevy of secondary characters (none of whom are particularly distinguishable from one another) seem like a gang of guys with Cockney accents lifted right out of one of Ritchie’s old crime films, dressed in vaguely medieval garb, and plopped down into this one.

Three of those side characters stand out. Goosefat Bill ( Aidan Gillen ) and Bedivere ( Djimon Hounsou ) have been working as resistance fighters since — during a war between men and mages, a.k.a. wizards — Vortigern betrayed his brother, the King Uther Pendragon ( Eric Bana ), and took over the crown. They know what Arthur needs to do to save the people, and they are going to get him to do it, regardless of what he wants. And one mage ( Astrid Bergès-Frisbey ), mysterious and not having any of Arthur’s guff, will help them.

Aidan Gillen in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Arthur was a little boy when Vortigern took over, but Uther managed to get little Arthur onto a boat that floated from Camelot down to Londinium, where he was taken in by the women of a brothel. He grew up on the streets, living a hard-knock life that left him with some great fighting skills courtesy of Kung-Fu George ( Tom Wu ), an extremely ripped upper-body musculature, and a tender loyalty toward both the women who raised him and the lads he came up with.

There’s also the titular sword, forged back in the day by the good mage Merlin and bound by the Lady of the Lake to the Pendragon line. (There isn’t a whole lot of explanation for any of these things, but it doesn’t really matter.) That means that after Uther’s death, the sword — stuck in a stone for reasons that become clear later on — will only respond to the touch of the rightful heir to the throne, and that’s not Vortigern. (He is not happy about this.) The rightful heir is Arthur, and when the people who’ve been looking for him figure out who he is, all hell breaks loose.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a superhero movie set in pre-Christian England

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is clearly modeled on well-established superhero genre conventions. Arthur is a humble hero whose parents were murdered in front of him. Though born to greatness, he is raised in obscurity. He must battle an evil villain who is also closely related to him. He has magical powers. But more importantly, he has a band of sidekicks (some of whom also have magical powers) without whom he’d be lost in his quest.

But while the arc is predictable, it also feels surprisingly fresh, if you take it as a superhero story. It’s in medieval pre-Christian England for one thing, a nice twist on the expected Gotham/modern day America/outer space setting. There are fun sword fights and cool wizards, and while the whole thing feels like it’s perpetually about to run off the rails, it ticks along at a good pace and finishes without getting too confusing.

Astrid Bergès-Frisbey in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

What keeps it all together is Hunnam, whose appeal has finally become evident to me after this film and (the much better) Lost City of Z . He slips easily into the role, with his mellifluous voice and Disney-prince handsomeness, and since his Arthur talks like a regular bloke, he never seems too self-conscious in the role.

That’s a great fit for Ritchie, who is hyper-conscious as a director. He never lets you forget that you’re watching a movie : the camera swerves around, suddenly punches in to get a closer look at something, cuts abruptly, and moves altogether like a music video, often accompanied by big, loud music. Add that hyperstylization to a self-conscious actor like Robert Downey, Jr. (who played Sherlock Holmes in Ritchie’s adaptations) and the result is just way too much. But here, Ritchie’s style and Hunnam’s manner work against each other, and the result is pleasingly kooky.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is an origin story for England

All of the film’s juxtapositions — Hunnam with Ritchie, thoroughly modern men in 5th-century situations — work in service of Legend of the Sword ’s story of a high-born king raised among the underclass. Arthur has superpowers granted by the sword, but the real superpowers, the movie suggests, come from the street smarts and scrappy lads from Londinium. Snotty, lofty Vortigern, who’s never left his castle and is willing to go to horrifying lengths to solidify the power on which he’s utterly drunk, would deserve to be taken down even if he wasn’t colluding with an evil mage. The virtues of the average bloke on the street — even the ones who resort to shady means to get by — far outpaces the corruption of the high-born.

Jude Law and Annabelle Wallis in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Arthur unites the two, though, and thus the legend spreads fast. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is an origin story for England — which a line of dialogue near the end makes clear — especially one that’s struggling to figure out what, and who, it really is. And that describes the debates of post-Brexit 2017: Is England cosmopolitan? Is it sovereign? Does it belong to royalty, the elites, or to the commoner? Is there space for the foreigner, too?

The answer this film gives is a “yes” (“Why have enemies when you can have friends?” Arthur asks near the end), but a very tenuous one. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword isn’t really consciously making a political point. It just embodies one that seems popular right now: That the country is better off in the hands of the working class than those bred to lead it. (The movie’s tagline is “From Nothing Comes a King,” for goodness’ sake.)

In this movie, the round table has space for the nobles and the commoners. The question, for England and for King Arthur , is what the origin story means for the next installment.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword opens in theaters on May 12.

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King arthur: legend of the sword, common sense media reviewers.

Big, loud, violent, but amusing retelling of ancient legend.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The story shows the importance of teamwork, believ

Flawed but courageous characters include Arthur, w

People are killed in various ways: close-range exe

Arthur is brought up in a brothel. While no actual

"Arse," "shite," "taking the piss," "bollock/s," "

Adult characters drink in pubs and at meals. A cha

Positive Messages

The story shows the importance of teamwork, believing in yourself, and the difference one person can make to the greater good.

Positive Role Models

Flawed but courageous characters include Arthur, who always tries to defend the people he loves and cares about; Sir Bedivere, who remains faithful to the original King Pendragon; Goosefat Bill, who's loyal, if trigger-happy; and Arthur's two best friends -- all of whom are willing to stand up to much larger forces to try and save England from a tyrannical, evil imposter king. The mage, a woman, is truthful and brave; she and a maid/spy are the only women in the story with any agency of note. Notable diversity for a movie set in ancient Britain.

Violence & Scariness

People are killed in various ways: close-range execution (slashing of throat, stabbing), pierced with arrows, hanged, etc. A man disturbingly kills two people he loves as a sacrifice in exchange for dark magical powers. The king's guard kills citizens who are protesting, even children. The king tortures a man before killing him. A powerful mage's forces destroy part of a castle and the guards defending it. Another mage can control a giant snake that kills/eats people.

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

Arthur is brought up in a brothel. While no actual sex is depicted, it's clear what goes on there, as various men go into rooms with scantily clad women and leave coins behind or with Arthur. The most that's shown is a man and woman in close proximity or on a bed together, but they're clothed. Two men kiss/embrace their wives farewell during life-and-death situations.

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"Arse," "shite," "taking the piss," "bollock/s," "honey t-ts," "bastard," etc. One use of "f--king": "Do your f--king job!"

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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adult characters drink in pubs and at meals. A character is drugged/poisoned for spiritual/supernatural purposes.

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is director Guy Ritchie' s loud, stylized, violent take on the origin story of England's legendary king and the mythology surrounding his magical sword, Excalibur. Starring Charlie Hunnam and Jude Law , the movie includes most of Ritchie's signature touches -- quick cuts, rapid-fire dialog, humor in otherwise violent sequences, and creative strong language. Things frequently get pretty intense: There are several assassinations (some at close range, such as a throat-slashing) and battle sequences that destroy villages, castles, and people. There's a high body count; some of the deaths are bloodier and more disturbing than others. Language is occasionally salty, with one use of "f--king," and adults drink at pubs/meals. Arthur is brought up in a brothel; while nothing more graphic than kissing/lying on a bed with clothes on is shown, it's very clear what goes on there. Underlying the action are messages about teamwork and believing in yourself, and while the characters are flawed, the heroes are courageous and loyal. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Based on 15 parent reviews

What's the Story?

KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD is Guy Ritchie 's retelling of one of the world's most enduring myths. It starts with the tale of how King Uther Pendragon ( Eric Bana ) defeated an evil mage's attempt to overthrow him but then fell to his own brother, Vortigern ( Jude Law ), who was willing to sacrifice his own wife for the throne. But before Vortigern can kill his young nephew -- Uther's heir, Arthur -- the toddler is saved by a prostitute and brought up in a city brothel. Two decades later, Arthur ( Charlie Hunnam ) has become a formidable street fighter and protector of his brothel, while Vortigern is a tyrannical leader obsessed with complete control. When the waters part and Excalibur, stuck in a stone, reveals itself, Vortigern sends his guards to force all men of a certain age to attempt to pull it free. Sure of his inability to loose the weapon, Arthur is as shocked as everyone else when he's able to pull it free. Before Vortigern can kill Arthur publicly, a powerful mage (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) and a group of Uther Pendragon loyalists rescue Arthur and Excalibur and attempt to convince him to lead a coup and take his rightful place on the throne.

Is It Any Good?

Despite its talented cast and legendary subject matter, Ritchie's "Snatchelot" interpretation of the King Arthur story is too uneven to merit a franchise; but it is, at times, undeniably fun. It's a shame the movie isn't considerably better, because with its internationally appealing ensemble, it would've stood a chance at a decent franchise. Star Hunnam, who's best known for his seven seasons on Sons of Anarchy , has the charisma, gravitas, and physicality of a slightly bulkier, younger Brad Pitt. With his ability to talk fast and convincingly play a high-born prince bred in a low-born gutter, he's well cast.

It's a bit of a mess, but King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is diverting enough, especially for those who are already Ritchie fans (he even has a cameo in a key scene). Audiences who won't mind reveling in the chaos, the occasionally nonsensical plot points, the hammy villains, and the chemistry between Arthur and the beautiful, mysterious "Mage" (watch out for a spoiler regarding her identity in the credits) will have enough to keep them happy. There isn't much here from the classic version of the legend besides some of the names, so you don't need to know a thing about Arthurian legend (in fact, it's best NOT to) to follow along. There have been plenty of worse fantasy reboots, and at least this one has a brag-worthy cast.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. How much of it is necessary to the story? Does stylized, quickly edited fantasy violence have the same impact as lingering, realistic violence?

How does this compare to other versions of the King Arthur story you've seen/read? Do you prefer a more traditional adaptation or something like this? Why?

For those familiar with Guy Ritchie's other films -- how does this movie feature some of his signature touches? Why do you think it's being compared to Snatch and his other movies?

Movie Details

In theaters : May 12, 2017
On DVD or streaming : August 8, 2017
Cast : Charlie Hunnam , Jude Law , Annabelle Wallis
Director : Guy Ritchie
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Warner Bros.
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Adventures
Character Strengths : Teamwork
Run time : 126 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sequences of violence and action, some suggestive content and brief strong language
Last updated : April 16, 2024

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Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Greg Eichelberger
Movie Reviews
7 responses
--> May 15, 2017

As Arthurian films have gone in recent years, the most epic in my opinion is probably “Excalibur” from 1981; the most interesting one is the 1995 Richard Gere vehicle, “First Knight”; the most fun was the 1963 animated “The Sword in the Stone”; while the best is easily 1975’s classic, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

The worst, however, is no doubt this latest version, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword , directed by Guy Ritchie (“ The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ,” and the rebooted “Sherlock Holmes” film series) who also penned it along with Joby Harold (“Awake”) and Lionel Wigram (“ Sherlock Holmes ”).

This medieval mish-mosh attempts to incorporate Ritchie’s wearing-thin shtick of quick-edits, jagged cuts and seizure-inducing visuals with the legend of the Round Table, complete with massive battle elephants (think “ 300 ,” but on boatloads of HGH), African warriors (who no doubt dotted the ancient British landscape), Asian kung-fu masters (the film even uses the term, “kung-fu,” believe it or not), exploding arrows and, of course, the famed sword Excalibur which, after being removed from its stone prison, begins to take on a life its own (certainly much more than those acting in this film).

With so much going on, there is precious little room for such luxuries as story, plot, character development and clear, coherent direction. This results in overwhelming confusion and obfuscation, as well as Ritchie’s constant anachronisms, including score, dialogue and period technology.

It’s as if he binged watched every film on the subject (including 1954’s “Prince Valiant” and the 1967 musical, “Camelot”) added “Game of Thrones” to that list and then decided to make King Arthur: Legend of the Sword with a modern soundtrack and populating it with supposed artists who supposedly know their craft.

For instance, the titular role is played by Charlie Hunnam (“ The Lost City of Z ,” but who cut his teeth on the “Sons of Anarchy” TV series), a handsome, appropriately hunky Brit, who cannot carry the part of a man robbed of his birthright across the finish line. Instead, the writers pile on modern terms and plenty of ridiculous action sequences to take the acting burden off his shoulders.

Then there’s Guinevere (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, “ I Origins ”), who, as a Mage (or magician), goes into unintentionally hilarious trances, but can control crows or something like that.

Former Academy Award-nominated actors Jude Law (“The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “Cold Mountain”) and Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond,” “In America”) make appearances as the evil King Vortigern and the kindly Sir Bedivere, respectively, but add nothing to the production, unfortunately. Even Eric Bana, who starred in another sword and sorcery production (“Troy”) cannot salvage anything in his short time onscreen here, either.

Beware, however, as there are plans for a whole slew of sequels to be released behind King Arthur: Legend of the Sword . Hopefully, overwhelmingly negative critical and audience reaction might just founder those designs. Like the recent cinematic IEDs, “ The Lone Ranger ,” “ Ben-Hur ” and “ The Legend of Tarzan ,” among others, expect this to go nowhere. Even Skull Island would not take in this “King.” It’s best to just see “ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ” a few more times. You know you want to anyway.

Tagged: England , king , mythology , revenge , sword , wizard

I have been a movie fan for most of my life and a film critic since 1986 (my first published review was for "Platoon"). Since that time I have written for several news and entertainment publications in California, Utah and Idaho. Big fan of the Academy Awards - but wish it would go back to the five-minute dinner it was in May, 1929. A former member of the San Diego Film Critics Society and current co-host of "The Movie Guys," each Sunday afternoon on KOGO AM 600 in San Diego with Kevin Finnerty.

Movie Review: Despicable Me 3 (2017) Movie Review: Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) Movie Review: All Eyez On Me (2017) Movie Review: The Mummy (2017) Movie Review: Baywatch (2017) Movie Review: The Promise (2016) Movie Review: The Fate of the Furious (2017)

'Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)' have 7 comments

May 15, 2017 @ 1:24 pm Kevin F. Quinn

Guy Ritchie is a preferred taste. The man has an offbeat style that isn’t for everyone and I guess isn’t good for King Arthur as it was for Sherlock Holmes.

May 15, 2017 @ 1:40 pm 3tonfun

I’ll stick with “Excalibur.”

May 15, 2017 @ 1:51 pm golden poodle

Critics are vicious sonsabitches. I admit it has a few flaws like difficulty understanding some of the conversations and too many quick edits, but it is a solid fantasy picture.

May 15, 2017 @ 2:34 pm Cheney

Disappointing it probably won’t get a sequel due to the lackluster critical response. I liked it.

May 15, 2017 @ 4:12 pm NomadBaker

British legend with British actors – American audiences were never going to go for it.

May 15, 2017 @ 5:47 pm Penny Nickle

It’s not the best work of Guy Ritchie’s (that would be Snatch) but it is at the very least a fresh take on an old boring tale.

May 15, 2017 @ 8:55 pm the_steed

King Arthur deserved better.

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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Review

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword throws every genre fad of the last 17 years into its devil brew. But who would drink it?

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One of my favorite stories of kings, schemes, and thwarted regal ambition will forever remain Macbeth , the Bard’s Scottish play about an overeager general’s rise to the top. And strangely, it crossed my mind more than once while watching Guy Ritchie’s absolutely ludicrous King Arthur: Legend of the Sword . There is of course the fact that it not-so-subtly homages (or steals?) from the play when its villainous Vortigern (Jude Law) aspires to climb a throne with the help of three weird sisters—albeit here the witches have been crossed with sea squids. They read his fortune and damnation, but like the movie they’re in, they are just one more bizarre, tentacled ingredient in a cinematic cauldron threatening to overflow in silliness.

Forget eye of newt or toe of frog, Ritchie’s King Arthur is stuffed to the brim with every cliché and genre fad that developed mainstream geek chic credibility in the last 17 years. You liked the thrice-sized elephants from Lord of the Rings ? Here, they’re closer in height to the Chrysler Building; anxious to see Rey trained by Luke? Charlie Hunnam’s Arthur goes through a Dagobah trial by fire subplot in a three-minute montage; needed more scenes of children being turned into 300 Spartans? In King Arthur , Ritchie’s speed-ramping courtyard montage comes with actual martial artist Tom Wu training the lad. Throw in Warcraft references and at least three Game of Thrones veterans, and fan culture starts to blur.

There are so many jarring and incongruent elements being poured into this singular devil’s brew that one wonders if anyone ever stopped to consider if there’d be a soul alive foolhardy enough to consume the damned thing? It’s not quite clear, but at least during moments of pure batshit lunacy (including a literal giant bat that tries to eat Arthur), it won’t be accused of being dull. The term “astonishingly unwieldy mess” may however be apt.

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Announcing with audible trumpets that tweed-wearing Arthurian scholars can find the door ASAP, King Arthur of the 2017 vintage kicks off with the legendary monarch’s father, King Uther (an all-too-briefly seen Eric Bana), single-handedly decapitating the Mage King Mordred with Excalibur. In this kingdom, magic-touched folks are the sword and sorcery equivalent of the X-Men ’s mutants, but Uther and his leadership are so worried about this minority that they fail to realize the real threat is his brother Prince Vortigern. Vortigern also dabbles in magic on the side and uses it to lead a coup and murder his brother.

Luckily, Uther’s son Arthur escapes on a boat and, in typical Ritchie fashion, finds himself at a brothel where he’s raised by a community of prostitutes, whom he then so charitably protects. Faster than you can say Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels , Ritchie has Arthur grow up into Charlie Hunnam, a street-wise hustler with a gang of mates. They run the alleyways and graft the local fuzz, here known as “Blacklegs.” But eventually, Vortigern’s reach finds him, and upon pulling the legendary Excalibur from the stone (which when held by Arthur is akin to Mario picking up an invincibility star), the young nephew becomes enemy number one for his uncle.

Even so, Arthur finds help from his working class chums plus his father’s exiled loyalists (Djimon Hounsou and Aidan Gillen) to lead a resistance. He also might be developing a romance with a mage (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) but when the film itself cannot be bothered to give the character a name, the chances of audiences caring any more than Ritchie are fairly remote.

Like most Guy Ritchie movies, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is best in its element when it focuses on what the filmmaker does well: showcase smalltime, smartass crooks cracking wise and maybe even elevating themselves to a slightly larger smalltime. Hence the best portion of the movie is the beginning when Ritchie is allowed to give faint medieval stylings and flavors to the same movie he has been making on and off for about 20 years. He also finds a good partner in Hunnam, who has charisma to spare and plays Arthur as a decidedly brash but good-natured, easygoing rogue. More Robin Hood than typical depictions of Arthur, it’s still a cheery departure from recent Arthurian yarns in the last few decades that drown in self-serious posture and “realism.”

Indeed, Legend of the Sword embraces the fantasy aspect full-tilt and some effects prove better than others. The aforementioned elephant opening is welcome popcorn spectacle, as is the idea that monstrous wolves and beasties still live in England’s untamed and foreboding wilderness. It’s (mostly) not the CG-fantasy elements that undo Ritchie at all; it’s raising the story above street level and into a political game of thrones where the movie begins to stumble, and only then crumbles more as increasing genres are piled atop this already shaky foundation.

Hunnam smugly skipping over the most cliché plot points in a typical Ritchie montage is clever, but doing it to explain how he brings his uncle to his knees, or schemes an assassination plot is disorienting. As is Arthur being a chosen one savior who turns into a CG-action figure whenever he touches Excalibur. High-frame rate kinetic energy gives way to a video game malaise.

Add on typical problems associated with the filmmaker—such as all the women in the movie being either victims, whores, or witches, and most of whom barley register a personality in their fleeting screen time—and a third act that devolves into Harry Hamlin levels of absurdity, and the recipe for a total derailment is complete.

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Obviously, comparisons will be made between this revisionist take and how Ritchie handled Sherlock Holmes for Warner Bros. eight years ago. But while that original film was every bit as featherbrained as this, there was still some semblance of Doyle’s Holmes and Watson to give it spark. This is complete noise, even when the director brings his Watson to set with Law playing the villain. The English thesp is actually very good as the heavy, often choosing to dryly underplay his nefariousness to delicious results. But like everything else, he slowly fades away in a narrative that seems jumbled from too many reshoots. By the climax, Law has been totally subbed out for a computer generated shadow ghost straight out of Game of Thrones by way of Street Fighter . Trust me, it sounds cooler than it is.

2.5 out of 5

David Crow | @DCrowsNest

David Crow is the movies editor at Den of Geek. He has long been proud of his geek credentials. Raised on cinema classics that ranged from…

'King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword' Review: Guy Ritchie's Movie Is Better (And Weirder) Than Expected

King Arthur Legend of the Sword Trailer - Charlie Hunnam

Guy Ritchie 's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword shares its DNA with the big action movies of the late '90s/early 2000s. As insane as the proceedings become, there's not a lick of shame or self-consciousness to be found anywhere; instead, there's a rowdy energy and a penchant for some truly inspired visual spectacle. Granted, this heritage also comes with its own set of problems, and it's the beats in which the movie adheres most closely to the template it's cut from that are its weakest.

The movie excels when it leans fully into the strange and Ritchie-ian, and it falters when it has to hit the story beats required to make Arthur ( Charlie Hunnam , showing off his lo-hi chops in this and Lost City of Z , respectively) into a king. It's a matter of cut-and-dry plot versus the weirdness of Arthurian legends, not to mention the failure to update the worst parts of the generic action movie model, e.g., a grand total of four women die in order to advance the plot and the most important female character is essentially nameless, and there's a nickname —"Kung-Fu George," as bestowed upon Tom Wu 's character — that might have been passable if we actually got to see George do some kung-fu, but as it stands, feels a little too much like stereotyping.

That said, King Arthur isn't quite like any other blockbuster currently playing. In part, this has to do with its director's idiosyncrasies. Guy Ritchie has always had a distinctive touch, and the same frenetic, kinetic energy is present here, as well as the constant close-but-no-cigar point about class differences (rooting for the underdog, obviously). The sheer scale he's working on is brand new, and it shows in the movie's best sequences. King Arthur opens with Godzilla-sized elephants that are wondrous to behold, and just in case that wasn't enough, there are giant snakes and octopus-witches, too. Rattling between them and his signature small-scale, close-quarters chases and duels is like riding a rollercoaster, with the sharpest turns coming thanks to everyone's commitment to the bit, particularly Jude Law as Arthur's evil uncle Vortigern.

The rest of the cast does as well as they can with what they get, with characters mostly defined by their nicknames ( Aidan Gillen as Goosefat Bill, Kingsley Ben-Adir as Wet Stick, Neil Maskell as Back Lack, Geoff Bell as Mischief John — Djimon Hounsou also features as Sir Bedivere, though that name doesn't fall into the same category of nonsense) and attitudes that generally seem to have been copped from Ritchie's earlier work. Hunnam has more to do by virtue of being the main character, but to his credit, it's not everyone who could pull off the dialogue without making it too serious or too self-aware. In fact, it's the balance that he manages to strike that first suggests there's something stranger at work than swords and sorcery.

As with any action movie, there's a thrumming score to help move the action along, but King Arthur places an unusual premium on silence as well. The movie begins with silence that stretches to the point that it seems like an error, and the sound simply drops out in other scenes. It brings the proceedings to a halt, and demands attention and effort in a way that's rare for a genre that generally encourages a bare minimum level of engagement. Again, part of this is due to Hunnam's performance, whose refusal to go arch all the way nails the seriousness that that silence lends.

The hero's journey also includes some atypical beats. We see Arthur faint clean away more than once due to the power flowing through the sword in the stone; while there's a certain amount of faltering required in any superhero movie, this feels jarring, especially when a scene that ought to feel triumphant ends in a sudden blackout. For a good chunk of the movie, Arthur is useless at wielding Excalibur, though when he finally gets a handle on it, the resulting fight scenes play almost as refreshingly as the advent of 300 .

Maybe this is all too kind, given the movie's faults as previously stated, and the handful of plot points (generously speaking) that go unexplained. Its shortcomings only make its successes that much more frustrating. But still, the good outweighs the bad, especially when that good comes from risks that are rare in would-be franchises. (The movie ends with the suggestion of a continuation; I refuse to feel any shame in hoping, as unlikely as it may be, that a sequel gets made.) It can't be denied that King Arthur is a tremendous amount of fun. Some details are truly wonderful, like the brief image of the Lady of the Lake that seems to combine fire with water, or the adjusted origin of the stone from which Arthur pulls Excalibur. The fact is that the source material the movie is pulling from is inherently strange, and the best parts of the movie are a direct result of embracing that instead of deferring to a safer, more familiar route. As Arthur cuts through swathes of his uncle's black-clad soldiers, Excalibur glows blindingly brightly in his hands; similarly enough, if you can bear the bad patches, there's something dazzlingly fun at the heart of it all.

/Film Rating: 7/10

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword Review

Charlie Hunnam and Djimon Hounsou in King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword

19 May 2017

126 minutes

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword

You can’t really fault the logic of letting Guy Ritchie bring some mayhem to the traditionally chivalrous world of King Arthur. Back in 2009, when Benedict Cumberbatch’s modern- day consulting detective was yet to usher viewers into his Mind Palace, Ritchie’s first Sherlock Holmes film proved a gleefully incendiary revelation, delivering unexpected thrills (and a $524 million box office hit) by splicing the deductive spirit of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories with the Snatch director’s trademark visual brio and unwavering devotion to shirtless fight scenes.

So, in theory, you wouldn’t bet against Ritchie’s similarly controversial take on Arthurian legend (an urban reimagining-cum-origin story designed to birth a six-film connected cinematic universe) to pull off a similar trick. It doesn’t take too long for those hopes to wither or, rather — given the film’s overblown opening battle scene — be trampled by a 300-foot CGI elephant. Although it flickers to life at times, King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword devolves into a jumbled affair, weighed down by confusing supernatural elements and a lazy reliance on visual effects.

A jumbled affair, weighed down by confusing supernatural elements.

Still, those opening scenes are exhilarating. The giant, marauding pachyderms are part of an extended prologue which serves us some backstory amid scenes of Dark Ages carnage. In ancient England, we’re told, ordinary men are at war with ‘mages’ (mystical beings with the power to control animals). During a key conflict, heroic reigning monarch King Uther (Eric Bana) makes a pivotal intervention with his magical sword, Excalibur, but the victory seems to come at some vague mystical cost — Jude Law’s Vortigern, Uther’s brother, has a suspicious nosebleed, for one thing — and soon treachery comes to Camelot.

Vortigern claims the throne, Uther and his wife are killed and Arthur, their only son, is hidden in a boat before washing up in Londinium. A rapidly cut montage — an irresistible show of Ritchie’s stylistic verve — then depicts Arthur’s hard-knock journey from naive brothel worker to streetwise brawler. After being summoned for his customary encounter with the sword in the stone, Arthur eventually falls in with a mysterious female mage (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey) and a ragtag group of freedom fighters to topple Vortigern’s regime and embrace his heroic destiny.

This middle portion of the film, where it barrels along like a cross between Robin Hood and Ocean’s Eleven , is undoubtedly its highpoint. But it also underscores one of its biggest failings. Even in an unexpected setting, Ritchie’s tropes — East London slang, fist-fights, Tarantino-ish narrative trickery — still feel hopelessly dated. And then there’s David Beckham. Following a brief cameo in Ritchie’s previous film, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. , Becks effectively puts himself forward as the Ritchieverse’s answer to Stan Lee, with a beefier appearance as a villainous soldier. It’s a misguided, fist-biter of a performance — almost impressive when you consider it features a man who’s actually from Leytonstone playing an unconvincing Cockney — and the fact that this piece of stunt casting overshadows a hugely significant character moment for Arthur bespeaks the film’s pervading ill-judged, shouty feel. Jude Law toils admirably as demonic proto-dictator Vortigern, but Hunnam’s decision to play Arthur as a smirking lunk makes him hard to root for. Ritchie is clearly still adept at marshalling an inventive action set-piece, but all hopes that this is heading anywhere interesting are ultimately dashed.

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Metacritic reviews

King arthur: legend of the sword.

67 The Playlist Drew Taylor The Playlist Drew Taylor Ritchie’s ‘King Arthur’ is a pleasing big budget spectacle, oddly aligned to the filmmaker’s thematic interests and startlingly compatible with his signature razzle-dazzle style. In fact, the soggiest moments in the movie are the ones that adhere the closest to that ambitious multi-film strategy, lessening the fun, and emptying its impact.
58 Entertainment Weekly Kevin P. Sullivan Entertainment Weekly Kevin P. Sullivan King Arthur could have been a rollicking blast. Instead it’s just another wannabe blockbuster with too much flash and not enough soul.
55 TheWrap Alonso Duralde TheWrap Alonso Duralde There are quick cuts and CG imagery and bro-ing out in nearly equal proportions; I found some of this excess to be heady and exciting, but by the end of the film’s running time, it all became a bit tiresome, to say nothing of tiring.
50 ScreenCrush Matt Singer ScreenCrush Matt Singer A bloated action movie with occasional breaks in the monotony. It’s Perfectly Fine™; entirely competent but unexceptional in just about every way.
50 The Hollywood Reporter Todd McCarthy The Hollywood Reporter Todd McCarthy From one moment to the next, it's possible to on some level enjoy the shaking up of tired conventions in a swordplay fantasy such as this and then to be dismayed by the lowbrow vulgarity of what's ended up onscreen. The film gives with one hand and takes away with the other, which can be frustrating in what's meant to be an entertainment.
50 Screen Daily Tim Grierson Screen Daily Tim Grierson Commercial considerations strangle the vitality from the movie, but Ritchie does his best to bring a bit of impish wit to the proceedings.
42 IndieWire David Ehrlich IndieWire David Ehrlich Part “Game of Thrones,” part “Snatch,” and almost all bad, Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is one of those generic blockbusters that has nothing to say and no idea how to say it.
40 The Telegraph Robbie Collin The Telegraph Robbie Collin Ritchie’s film...is so misshapen and inert, your imagination and memory never come close to being sparked by it. Just sticking with the plot soaks up every ounce of concentration you have.
40 We Got This Covered Matt Donato We Got This Covered Matt Donato Excitement is fleeting, dialogue rambles and Jude Law’s tyrant-approved throne slouch pretty much sums the film’s overall attitude – a hearty “meh,” worthy of no diamond-studded crown.
40 Variety Peter Debruge Variety Peter Debruge Ultimately, “King Arthur” is just a loud, obnoxious parade of flashy set pieces, as one visually busy, belligerent action scene after another marches by, each making less sense than the last, but all intended to overwhelm.
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Movie Review – King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

May 9, 2017 by Robert Kojder

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword , 2017.

Directed by Guy Ritchie Starring Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, Annabelle Wallis, Hermione Corfield, Katie McGrath, Millie Brady, Georgina Campbell, Poppy Delevingne, Eline Powell, Kamil Lemieszewski, Michael McElhatton, Mikael Persbrandt, David Beckham, Freddie Fox, Peter Ferdinando, Geoff Bell, Neil Maskell, Tom Wu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Eric Bana.

Robbed of his birthright, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy – whether he likes it or not.

It’s guaranteed that whatever your expectations are for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword , it’s nothing in comparison to what’s actually in store. Just another reason marketing should be ignored, as to whether a movie looks good or bad isn’t necessarily always the issue, but more so that it’s usually never a reflection of the actual product. The most basic summary one can ascribe to this take on the famed sword and the stone tale is that it feels like video games Assassin’s Creed and God of War got together and had a cinematic baby.

There’s even an assassination sequence during the middle that is given an entire 20 minutes and makes for a better Assassin’s Creed movie than the blunder that was Assassin’s Creed . The movie also opens with a massive battle inside a tower atop a humongous elephant-thing where a character makes a daring leap from a bridge to some climbing material, all looking as if you’re watching someone play a medieval version of God of War . This might be the best video game movie ever made and it’s not even based on a game. I also haven’t even mentioned the Excalibur sword abilities, which basically transform King Arthur (Charlie Hunnam of Sons of Anarchy fame) into the cinematic equivalent of a gaming ‘rage mode’, teleporting him all over a given battlefield laying absolute waste to the numerous generic enemies in his path.

That’s not to say director Guy Ritchie ( The Man from U.N.C.L.E. , Sherlock Holmes , and set to helm Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Aladdin ) is aping these franchises, but rather that he is (probably even unintentionally) giving King Arthur: Legend of the Sword a direct shot of adrenaline by utilizing the playbook of action-adventure video games. It’s not the only trick up his sleeve, however, as the British filmmaker naturally offers up all of his signature touches; numerous scenes utilize rapid-cut editing techniques as a stylistic method to present elements of a scene anachronistically. To be fair, by about the third time this happens it wears its welcome feeling vapid and only there to mask the fact that this interpretation of the legendary folklore is not focused on drama or emotional stakes at all. On the contrary, though, it makes for a cleverly unique way to speed run through the childhood years of Arthur, quickly hitting each important beat.

Also, there is unexpectedly a large amount of humor peppered throughout most of these sequences, depicting Arthur as a smart-ass uninterested in cooperating with the rebels or accepting his destiny even after he pulls the magical sword from the stone. It goes without saying that King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a complete exercise in style over substance, so it’s pleasant to report that the comedic banter heightens the entertainment value. The movie still has its dark moments (we’re talking bizarre family sacrifices to mysterious octopus looking monstrosities that can grant unprecedented levels of power to tyrannical kings), so if anything, it is constantly shifting tones successfully resulting in madcap fun.

All of this comes together to make for a spin on King Arthur that is anything but your standard medieval fantasy adventure. Not only is it surprising just how much of a Guy Ritchie film the journey feels like for also being under Hollywood restrictions, but the visual direction is imaginative as bright colors pop off the screen set to the backdrop of bleak medieval battlefield color palettes. Anytime King Arthur activates Excalibur and goes on a rampage the movie takes advantage of those fantasy elements to create something visually splendid, but there are also quite a few mid-battle tracking shots floating around combat areas as Arthur makes move after move. If that wasn’t enough, the mage Guinevere is also capable of some stunning magical feats due to her seemingly telepathic link between animals, and thankfully is not wasted as a lame cliché romantic interest. Essentially, there is a hell of a lot to look at and bask in throughout the two hours of almost nonstop action. Furthermore, that unwillingness to let up on the chaos and present it in such a hyperactive fashion allows the ongoing revolution to unfold with hypnotic force.

With all of that mentioned, it might be crazy to believe, but I still haven’t touched on all of the goods King Arthur: Legend of the Sword brings to the Roundtable, as the soundtrack is a fitting medieval wallop of awesome. All of the appropriate instruments you would expect from a soundtrack are here filtered through a rock-ish vibe paced at the same breakneck speed as the movie, with each individual tracks adding something memorable to each scene. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself sitting through the credits just to hear the soundtrack cycle through the many numerous notable pieces by Daniel Pemberton.

The cast is also definitely above average, with Charlie Hunnam actually able to make more serious moments resonate with body language and facial expressions, while opposite him is Jude Law as his power-hungry false King Vortigern who knows how to bark orders, commit sinful atrocities and put on a resting bitch face for maximum effect. Djimon Hounsou and Aidan Gillen also stand out in supporting roles as King Arthur’s uprising companions, as both actors have also dabbled in similar genre fare. Again, this isn’t a movie interested in a narrative at all, so it’s really only King Arthur that has any sort of character development, but credit Guy Ritchie for having the skill to get the bare minimum of emotion necessary for the movie to function without becoming an incoherent mess. Even still, there are some confusing elements that don’t really make sense until you either ponder the situation or wait until the story randomly becomes more clear.

Nevertheless, what an absolutely pleasant, refreshing surprise that King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is anything but generic. For some, the style may go overboard into extreme levels of overindulgent territory, but even the film’s most ardent haters will be hard-pressed to deny that there is a great degree of fun to be found. Sure, the story doesn’t leave much of anything interesting to talk about, but the blockbuster is a wonderfully visual and sonic pleasure to behold. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword may not be the king of 2017 blockbusters, but it is the first unexpected hit of the summer movie season.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder – Chief Film Critic of Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews weekly, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

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Get out ... Charlie Hunnam in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword review – Guy Ritchie's cheerful den of medieval dodginess

The Sherlock Holmes director has conjured up an entertaining rollercoaster that crashes through Arthurian legend, with only the occasional stall

G uy Ritchie’s cheerfully ridiculous Arthur is a gonzo monarch, a death-metal warrior-king. Ritchie’s film is at all times over the top, crashing around its digital landscapes in all manner of beserkness, sometimes whooshing along, sometimes stuck in the odd narrative doldrum. But it is often surprisingly entertaining, and whatever clunkers he has delivered in the past, Ritchie again shows that a film-maker of his craft and energy commands attention, and part of his confidence in reviving King Arthur resides here in being so unselfconscious and unconcerned about the student canon that has gone before: Malory, Tennyson, Bresson, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle etc. Instead, Ritchie launches into an all-purpose tale of medieval brigands and scofflaws. It’s more of a laugh than Antoine Fuqua’s solemn take in 2004.

Arthur and the Round Table knights are more like Robin Hood and the merry geezers, a tale of right lairy thieves, and Ritchie’s story of their supernatural-assisted insurrection against the forces of tyranny cheerfully pinches bits of The Lion King and Gladiator and The Hobbit and Testaments Old and New; and he even has a talking-into-a-severed-ear joke nicked from Reservoir Dogs. It’s unsubtle to say the very least, in the same way that Iron Maiden is unsubtle. But maybe subtlety is the wrong approach. At any rate, Ritchie has his head firmly in the speaker bin, and at one stage an evil character even winces and cringes with a ringing in his ears, as if he has been doing the same thing.

Arthur’s dad is of course Uther Pendragon, played by Eric Bana, who is betrayed by his panto evil brother Vortigern, a pop-eyed, pursed-lip Jude Law . The tiny infant Arthur makes a fortuitous escape with everything but a basket of rushes and finds himself growing up with a right bunch of apple-cheeked cutpurses and associates of ladies of the night by the river in a quaint place called Londinium. It is there that Ritchie unveils one of his hypercaffeinated, hyperdrive speeded-up sequences, taking us through Arthur’s journey from childhood to young manhood in a matter of minutes: the sheer effrontery, and its undoubted breezy skill raises a laugh. Having ensconced Arthur as the emerging young leader of a crew, Ritchie brings in such repertory stalwarts as Geoff Bell (bad guy) and Neil Maskell (good guy) for this den of dodginess, and they are entirely at home.

Wicked Vortigern is ever paranoid about the rumoured youngling who might one day defeat him, and who is the only one capable of extracting a certain sword from a rock that forms the bizarre centrepiece to his Angkor Wat-style medieval palace complex. All the men of a certain age are rounded up and forced to attempt this feat, not knowing what it portends, and when Arthur can actually do it and then gets away, it looks as if he will be able to command a kind of prototypical resistance government composed of disaffected nobles and stout-hearted ruffians, including Bill (Aidan Gillen) and Bedivere (Djimon Hounsou).

But there is no Merlin: a big flaw in this movie. Presumably the famous wizard is being saved up for one of the many followups in the franchise series in the pipeline, which may or may not arrive. (We are still waiting for the rest of those Narnia films, by the way.) What we do have is the Mage, in the form of Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, a person of magic skills and the one female character in the knightly sausage party; she is possessed of a gaunt beauty, and eyeballs that tend to turn completely black in the ecstasy of magic. It is the Mage, who – and it’s a bit of a narrative cheat, this but allowable in a fabular context – can get Arthur and his guys out of a jam. Most impressively, she conjures a gigantic snake, after forcing Arthur to let a normal-sized one bite him. It’s a very creepy, and rather exciting scene. When Merlin turns up, probably in the next film, that is going to be a big showoff role and my money is on Robert Downey Jr.

It’s reasonably good fun and there’s a great “assassination” scene in which the director himself puts in a cameo as a frowning householder. The film rattles along exhilaratingly, if sometimes intermittently, like a fairground rollercoaster that occasionally stops and makes you get out and walk for a few minutes before letting you back on.

Guy Ritchie
Action and adventure films
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

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DVD & Streaming

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

May 12, 2017
Charlie Hunnam as Arthur; Astrid Bergès-Frisbey as The Mage; Jude Law as Vortigern; Djimon Hounsou as Bedivere; Eric Bana as Uther; Aidan Gillen as Bill; Freddie Fox as Rubio; Craig McGinlay as Percival; Tom Wu as George; Kingsley Ben-Adir as Wet Stick; Neil Maskell as Back Lack

Home Release Date

August 8, 2017
Guy Ritchie

Distributor

Warner Bros.

Movie Review

To paraphrase Kermit, it’s not easy being king.

Just ask Vortigern, proud monarch of the ancient British Isles. I mean, it took him some time just to become king—what with his annoyingly do-gooding brother, Uther Pendragon, being the rightful ruler and all.

Uther’s heroism and handy magic sword, Excalibur, certainly didn’t make bumping the guy off any easier, either: It took a hulking death demon to finally do the deed, violently sending Uther to the great beyond. And even that didn’t go as smoothly as Vortigern would’ve liked. Excalibur was lost in the fight, sinking down to the briny depths. And Uther’s young son, Arthur, was lost, too. Not killed , but lost . The 2-year-old prince hopped on a boat and floated away before Vortigern could snap him up and snap him in two, a fate that would’ve ended Uther’s kingly line forever.

But hey, how far can a 2-year-old get on a boat, right?

So Vortigern, newly crowned king, turns his attention to other matters—namely purging Britain of its mages, repressing its people, selling its children into slavery and turning the isles themselves in to barren, charred wastelands. It’s all about keeping up with the Saurons, after all.

Oh, and he also has a massive magic tower to build. Once the final black stone is in place, he’ll be, like, really powerful, in some mystical-yet-indeterminate way.

Yes, being king, what with its litany of duties and its occasional human sacrifice, is just work, work, work.

But as if Vortigern didn’t have enough on his to-do list, the water mysteriously drains around the castle, revealing the long-lost sword of Excalibur—firmly stuck in a stone. The British peons—er, people—begin whispering that the sword belongs to the true king. If only someone could pluck the blade from that chunk of magical granite, things would get a bit better.

What? Vortigern gasps. Don’t these miserable little—er, I mean, dutiful subjects appreciate all the work that I’ve done on their behalf? Are you saying they don’t appreciate my gentle threats and beatings? Clearly, I’ll have to, um, encourage loyalty a little more … fiercely.

Then he turns his attention to Arthur. Uther’s young son must be in his 20s by now, Vortigern realizes. And he’s the only one who can free and use the sword.

Best to force every young man in the kingdom to try to pull the sword out, the king figures: Those who try and fail are free to go. Why, he’ll even give them a free brand on their hand as a parting gift. And the one who succeeds? Why, Vortigern will give that young man a very, very special gift: an opportunity to reunite with his father and mother in the hereafter. Oh, sure, getting to that reunion might be a little … painful. But the best things always are, aren’t they?

Now, where did he put that hulking demon of death again?

Positive Elements

Arthur showcases many admirable character traits. First, he demonstrates his loyalty to the women who raised him—protecting them from men who would physically abuse them. Arthur cares for many who cross his path—even would-be enemies. As he says, “Why have enemies when you can have friends?” And you get the sense, eventually, that he wants his people to have a better ruler.

Still, Arthur’s reluctant to pick up the mantle of becoming Britain’s savior. Doing so will mean not only significant risk, but facing his long-buried memories and psychological demons. It’s understandable, as a mage tells him at one point. “I look away [from these fears],” she says. “We all look away. But that is the difference between a man and a king.” Eventually, Arthur does act in kingly fashion, facing his terrifying memories to fully embrace his role as Britain’s true protector.

Many others perform valiantly in Arthur’s service too, often risking their own lives to protect his.

Spiritual Elements

Arthurian legends have always been imbued with magic, and this CGI spectacle may push the mysticism quotient up a rung or two from there.

We’re told from the get-go that “men and mages” lived in peace for centuries before an evil mage named Mordred stirred up those wizards and declared war on mankind. A mage also helps Arthur in his quest to reclaim the throne, showing an ability to control and even (it seems) conjure animals. All of this suggests that mages are a different species from regular ol’ folks like Arthur and Vortigern.

But the film also suggests that mortal men can become magical, or wield magic, under certain conditions: Vortigern’s tower seems to infuse him at least temporarily with some magical abilities. And Arthur’s sword, Excalibur, is clearly enchanted in its own right. (We hear that the sword was formed from a mage staff.)

We see mythological creatures, including dryads (wood spirits) and the quasi-angelic Lady of the Lake. A demonic warrior—a pumped-up medieval depiction of death (complete with an exposed skull and a scythe-like weapon) is conjured using the darkest of dark magic.

There’s a reference to hell. Arthur “blesses” one of his enemies. There are several references to the world needing to be in “balance,” an understanding that suggests Eastern spirituality. Arthur goes to the “darklands,” a place perhaps more spiritual than physical. He gets there by pressing a stone into a kind of altar; when he returns from that realm, the film suggests that he didn’t physically move at all.

The film also contains scads of religious allusions (accidental or intended) to Christian and pagan stories. For example, graffiti scrawled across walls (representing Arthur’s fledgling rebellion) can be interpreted in multiple ways. Essentially a circle topped with a cross, it looks quite literally like a sword stuck in a circular stone. But it also resembles the pagan symbol for Venus (and, by extension, women) turned upside down. The cross-topped orb is also a traditional symbol of medieval monarchy that symbolizes Christ’s supremacy over the world.

Sexual Content

Vortigern parlays with a massive, tentacled monster that’s made partly of naked women. The women’s critical parts are obscured by either tentacles or water, but we do see the side of one’s breast. Similarly, the dryads we see are naked (albeit barky) female forms embracing or attached to trees.

When Arthur is very young, he’s discovered by a bevy of prostitutes, who take him in and raise him. (He believes that he was the son of one of them.) We don’t see the women engaged in any overt sexual activity, but they do wear garb that sometimes falls off their shoulders and showcases cleavage. Arthur becomes a sort of caretaker for the women in the brothel, protecting them at times from violent ruffians. When the brothel is raided by soldiers, one man tries to make trouble with Arthur, telling his superior that Arthur touched him. The man tells the soldier that he should consider himself lucky: “Most people [here] need to pay for that.”

Arthur is attracted to the female mage who comes to his aid. He asks her, “Are you falling for me like I’m falling for you?” In response, the mage causes the horse carrying Arthur to buck him off.

Violent Content

But there’s far more violence than horse bucking, naturally. The body count has got to be at least in the hundreds here.

Anonymous soldiers perish by the score. Some get vaporized by blasts of magic, or hewn through (largely bloodlessly) by swords. They’re also done in by arrow strikes, sword blows and dramatic falls into deep canyons. One woman is skewered by a large spear (which flies straight through her). A man is impaled on a scythe. Women are stabbed in the back as part of a heinous sacrifice: The corpse of one is claimed by a slithering, perhaps demonic monster. Massive—and I mean massive —elephants swipe the ground and crush people with their trunks and feet. A huge snake gobbles up several victims. Another, normal-sized snake bites someone.

Animals suffer plenty, too. Arthur fights with huge rats. Gigantic bats carry Arthur around and squabble with each other, with one getting consumed by a very sizable snake. Another snake is cut in two, splashing blood on the killer. A horse is purposefully driven to its doom.

Several people receive and nurse bloody, painful wounds. One man has his ear sliced off before his throat is cut. (We don’t explicitly see either slash up close.) Someone’s hit painfully in the thigh with arrows. The sword’s great power knocks Arthur out. Elsewhere, he beats up several people, leaving their faces bloodied. One unfortunate gets turned to stone. Corpses are strewn about a hideout. Someone else nearly has his head chopped off. Arthur grows up fighting and training under the tutelage of a kung fu master, and we see Arthur beat—and get beaten—plenty.

In a montage, Arthur walks in on several men raising their hands to strike prostitutes; once he’s old enough, he grabs the fist of an assailant and puts a stop to it. Later, we see one prostitute with multiple cuts and bruises caused by her last customer.

Crude or Profane Language

One f-word is explicitly uttered. Another person seems to inaudibly mouth that profanity. The s-word is used once. The British vulgarity “b–locks” is uttered thrice. We also hear “a–,” “b–tard” and “p-ss” a handful of times. God’s name is misused once.

Drug and Alcohol Content

A snake bites Arthur, and its venom either acts as a hallucinogen or a conduit to seeing the world in all its magical essence.

Other Negative Elements

Before he crosses swords with Vortigern, Arthur fosters his own vaguely criminal network. As a child, he steals money and gambles. As an adult, he heads some sort of smuggling ring.

Vortigern is selling Britain’s children—boys under the age of 12, mostly—to the Vikings. We hear of such dealings and, once or twice, see kids in cages, ready to be shipped off into slavery.

Arthurian tales are pretty malleable. While some believe the medieval monarch might’ve been a real king or warlord, each literary era embellishes his legend in its own way. The stories told in the eighth century look much different than those told in the 12th, and both might look a bit unfamiliar to Arthurian fans from the 19th. Or the 21st, for that matter.

So if director Guy Ritchie wants to stick 300-foot-tall war elephants in ancient Britain, who are we to begrudge him? No, from a Plugged In perspective, we’ve got other grudges to, er, grind.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword spoils itself in its very own title. Arthur isn’t actually the king for most of the movie, and to become one takes a great deal of swashbuckling heroism and sacrifice (especially on the part of his lackeys).

But it also requires, in this Ritchie creation, a staggering fatality count, some rather ticklish spiritual elements and a few nearly naked tentacle women. The Arthurian story gets stripped of most of its traditional Christian trappings and is instead enveloped by impressive, but mostly meaningless, CGI spectacle. Try to describe the film five minutes after you see it, and it might come out something like, “It’s cool.” Describe it 30 minutes after, and it becomes an incoherent, “Whaaa…?”

In another, relatively modern, Arthurian story, King Arthur himself sings of his wondrous, mythical home.

Don’t let it be forgot That once there was a spot For one brief shining moment that was known As Camelot.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a passable, if still problematic, diversion. But it’s not Camelot. Not even close.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – A New Look at a Legend

Photo: Warner Bros. Young man came from hunting faint, tired and weary What does ail my Lord, my dearie? Oh, brother dear, let my bed be made For I feel the gripe of the woody nightshade

If you’re a dedicated fan of the King Arthur legends and its characters, the new movie King Arthur: Legend of the Sword might affect you in two different ways. Either you’ll be interested in seeing a new take on the much-loved stories of King Arthur and the other characters of legend or you will be rather apprehensive, expecting a story that strongly deviates from the classic feel of the tale. This film touches both of these sets of expectations. The film’s director Guy Ritchie has developed a creation which strongly reflects his signature style which is rather different in many ways from other Arthurian movies. The end result is an entertaining film. Whether it will satisfy the viewer who loves King Arthur may come down to the individual fan and how open they are to a different look at this legend.

Many people were surprised when the announcement went out that Guy Ritchie was going to direct a version of the timeless legend of Britain’s ancient king. It did not seem at all in his line of work. After all, this is the same person who directed RocknRolla , Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels . Once you’re familiar with his work though, and perhaps have seen his Sherlock Holmes movies, you start to notice the hallmarks of his style even in this tale of ancient times.

The story at first appears to be a medieval heist film. But then it becomes a more conventional action-adventure which makes it a bit uneven. However, it does feature many memorable scenes and exciting and tense moments. If fans of the legend are looking for some of the more well-known tales of King Arthur in this though, they will be disappointed. Guy Ritchie takes some Arthurian characters, creates many of his own and comes up with his own story of Arthur, a prequel of how he became king. It’s best to go into this movie with an open mind and with expectations of considerable artistic license.

Men need a man would die as soon Out of the light of a mage’s moon

The Characters

The characters in this tale are an interesting mix. Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur does a good job. The story calls on him to be the cocky streetwise, rascally sort of guy who populates many of Guy Ritchie’s films and he does his job well enough.

A stand out I thought was Jude Law. He plays his villainous role in an over the top way which might alienate some viewers, but I found him fascinating. His love of power and spectacle could be almost comical until you see the unspeakable lengths which he takes to gain his power. We’ve seen his type of slouching, spoiled, brooding, psychopath before. Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves came to my mind. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Law’s performance though.

Don’t expect Guinevere or any of the legendary Knights of the Round Table to make an appearance in this movie. At least don’t look for them in any familiar form. Arthur’s friends are the people he’s known in the streets with names like Wet Stick and Back Lack (!) The cast is quite diverse. Unlike many film depictions, the story acknowledges the fact that there were people of colour in medieval Europe. One such is Djimon Hounsou who plays Bedivere a man dedicated to helping the would be king gain his crown – even if he doesn’t want it.

This young man he died fair soon By the light of a hunter’s moon

The women in the story are almost literally disposable characters though. Many of them are there mostly for Arthur and his band to have people to protect from danger. The mage character is a notable exception. Interestingly the ubiquitous Merlin does not appear in this movie. Instead, he sends an emissary, a woman called simply the Mage (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey). She comes equipped with awesome and deadly magic. She is determined to make sure Arthur takes on the responsibility of his destiny.

If you’re hoping for some type of romance, this movie, unfortunately, does not deliver. At first, Arthur teasingly flirts with the Mage. But he seems to do it mainly to annoy her and to register his defiance of her orders. Nothing more comes of it.

OVERALL RATING

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful

friendship.”

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I’m from a Caribbean island you should definitely consider visiting (Hint: Trinidad and Tobago). I have a BSc in Mass Communications and an MA in English Literature. I’m a lifelong reader, and I love the classics, fantasy, urban fantasy, YA, historical novels and various combinations of these which might explain why I believe that in some alternate universe, I am The Last Unicorn. When I’m not reading, procrastinating online or watching television and movies in this universe, I’m working as a freelance writer, proof reader and editor. Sometimes I also write about creative things that inspire me on my blog Crossroads of Imagination

4 thoughts on “Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – A New Look at a Legend”

I really enjoyed your King Arthur review. I loved this movie, but I do see your point about the final stuff being over the top. I’m obsessed with the soundtrack now and my favorite bits to recall are when Arthur is bandying about the streets and the fight training. I write YA fantasy inspired (very loosely) by history and teach martial arts so this whole movie really spoke to me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Hi Alisha, thank you for the kind words and for sharing the link on Twitter. I liked Arthur hanging about on the streets too, there could have been more of that now I think about it. The interaction with the vikings, the schemes and deals were all well done. That soundtrack is really something special I quite agree. I should go and listen to the whole thing. I also write YA though I’m not published. Going to look up your work. 🙂

Great review. I’m looking forward to watching it. Have a great vacation!

I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for commenting!

Comments are closed.

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Arthur & Merlin: Knights Of Camelot (2020)

King arthur goes through a crisis as camelot is seiged.

Audiences looking to understand the legend of King Arthur should seek out any source material other than this dire attempt at a feature film. Arthur and Merlin: Knights of Camelot sees Arthur (Richard Short) and his men race home to prevent the evil Mordred from taking over Camelot castle, yet this classic story is somehow twisted beyond recognition in director Giles Anderson's hollow attempts at making a rugged and realistic period piece.

Knights of Camelot takes an interesting approach in telling a more stripped-down take on the story, focusing on a version of Arthur who has lost faith in the legend of himself. However, while it attempts to be a compelling character study of the man, it is hard to overlook how thin the story is and the low-budget nature of the movie makes it feel like an amateurish production .

Sword Of The Valiant: The Legend Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight (1984)

A young knight is challenged by a mystic warrior.

The extensive nature of the Arthurian world allows for some tales of heroes beyond Arthur himself. Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a low-budget retelling of the classic 14th-century poem which stars Arthur's young knight Gawain (Miles O'Keeffe) accepting a challenge to fight a mysterious Green Knight, who proves to be a more mystical foe than he initially thought. Sean Connery stars as the Green Knight.

A strangely low budget, poor production values, and dreary fight sequences conspire to make Weeks' medieval epic feel more like B-movie fare than its stellar cast has any right to feature in. Sword of the Valiant 's screeching synthesizer-led score adds an unpleasant aspect for the audience to put up with long before Gawain (Miles O'Keeffe) meets the Green Knight (Sean Connery) on the field of battle.

A Kid In King Arthur's Court (1995)

A young kid is transported back in time.

Loosely based on Mark Twain's iconic 1889 novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court , A Kid in King Arthur's Court attempts to offer a kid-friendly Arthurian adventure with a time travel twist. This forgotten Walt Disney movie sees a young, baseball-obsessed boy named Calvin transported from contemporary Los Angeles to Camelot, where he helps King Arthur keep his throne using a CD player, a Swiss Army Knife, and roller skates.

The groan-inducing catchphrase " Joust Do It " is a prime example of the kind of lazy humor that can be expected from this Disney misfire that offers no real fun with the Arthurian legend and simply presents one tired fish-out-of-water gag after another . While nearly a total misfire from Disney, A Kid in King Arthur's Court is worth viewing if only to see performances from a young Kate Winslet and Daniel Craig, who both went on to become huge stars later on.

Shrek The Third (2007)

Shrek tries to convince a young arthur to be king.

The Shrek movie franchise has always had a lot of fun reworking fairy tales and fables into its family-friendly comedy stories, so it was only a matter of time before they got around to tackling the Arthurian legend. The movie finds Shrek inheriting the throne he has no interest in so he is forced to find Fiona's young, under-achieving cousin, Arthur (or Artie), to take his place.

At its core, Shrek the Third 's concept is seemingly designed to be a film for adults that is instead shackled by its core demographic of a child-based audience, containing multiple jokes about existential ennui that undoubtedly fly straight over most of its viewer's heads. While the cast of Shrek the Third is still clearly having a good time voicing the characters that made Shrek and Shrek 2 such fantastic family movies, there is little about Shrek the Third 's story to excite or enthrall fans .

The Last Legion (2007)

A roman soldier heads to britain to gather supporters.

While many of the takes on King Arthur focus on the well-known legend rather than worry about historical accuracy, there are some that are interested in diving deeper into the real historical aspects that inspired the legend. Loosely inspired by the events of 5th-century European history, including the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, The Last Legion blends these historical events with fantastical elements from the legend of King Arthur to provide a fictional basis for the Arthurian legend.

To form the backbone of a gritty narrative, Doug Lefler's The Last Legion brings together a crop of fine English actors, including Colin Firth, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ben Kingsley, and Rupert Friend. The Last Legion is decent enough combat-based fare but it pales compared to other historical action films released around the same time period, including Troy and Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur .

Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

The transformers and the arthurian legend mix for a new adventure.

Not content with the exciting concept of giant robots that can disguise themselves as various vehicles, the Transformers movies have also been keen on reshaping history by putting these robots at the center of some big events. After playing into the Moon landing and battling the Nazis in World War II, Transformers: The Last Knight links to King Arthur with them helping him and Merlin defeat the Saxons and tie their legend with his.

The fifth installment in the Transformers film series is not looking to think too hard about any of its narrative choices, instead delivering the epic battles and collision of worlds that Bay's Transformers titles have become known for. Transformers: The Last Knight 's special effects essentially prop up an otherwise nonsensical movie , but the CG work is so clean in Bay's final Transformers offering that it masks the franchise's now-familiar shortcomings more palatable than some of its predecessors.

Tristan & Isolde (2006)

Two young royals on opposites one a dispute form a romance.

Tristan and Isolde is another movie that puts one of the knights of the roundtable in the spotlight rather than Arthur himself. In the movie, Tristian is the second in line to take the throne only for his duty to his kingdom to become complicated when he falls in love with a princess of the Irish clan who is currently feuding with his family.

Tristan and Isolde is a serviceable attempt at a medieval romance wrapped up in Arthurian legend , although the Scott Free-produced film occasionally fails to elicit the levels of emotion needed to sustain its core love story. A young James Franco excels as Tristan here, playing the prince with a well-tempered blend of duty and passion, while his chemistry with co-star Sophia Myles is palpable even if it isn't the epic romance that was promised in the marketing.

First Knight (1995)

An older king arthur battles a rogue knight.

While not a historical take on the story, First Knight is a more grounded approach to the story of King Arthur and some of the key characters in his world. Sean Connery plays the older King Arthur who is contending with an invading rogue knight while his younger wife Guinevere (Julia Ormond) begins a romantic affair with Lancelot, played by Richard Gere. The movie takes inspiration from French poet Chrétien de Troyes' take on the legend.

First Knight would benefit greatly from a little magic, or indeed humor, to elevate the otherwise strong performances from Connery and several of his co-stars. While Gere is perhaps a fatal miscasting as an uninspired Lancelot, the film is a gorgeous spectacle visually , with Adam Greenberg's cinematography transporting audiences to the rolling hills surrounding the fabled Camelot.

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017)

A young outlaw discovers he is the heir to the throne.

Director Guy Ritchie 's take on the Arthurian legend is certainly bold, with Charlie Hunnam strutting around as the titular king in a manner more akin to earlier Guy Ritchie gangster movie fare such as Snatch. The movie finds Arthur unaware of his lineage to the thrown and playing the reluctant hero who begins the movie more interested in serving himself. He is joined by the likes of Jude Law, Djimon Honsou, and Eric Bana.

Ritchie cheekily also draws parallels to the Brexit issue dominating his home country at the time of the film's release. Yet despite the tongue-in-cheek fun posited by King Arthur: Legend of the Sword , its box office failure scuppered the other five sequel films in the pipeline, leaving Ritchie's franchise starter as a standalone film that is a highly enjoyable ride whose narrative never really goes anywhere.

A Knight In Camelot (1998)

A computer programmer goes back in time.

Another reimagining of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court , this made-for-TV movie proved to be a more successful comedy. The real star of A Knight In Camelot is leading lady Whoopi Goldberg, whose turn as scientist Vivien Morgan out of her time is both touching and hilarious as she saves King Arthur's (Michael York) bamboozled court from the nefarious Sir Sagramore (Robert Addie).

Disney was acutely aware of their failure with A Kid In King Arthur's Court in 1995, with the studio attempting a more mature-skewing remake just three years later as a result. This time, however, the production studio landed much closer to their usual standard of the movie, with A Knight In Camelot providing genuine laughs alongside a more robust, cohesive script and led by a genuine comedic star.

Dragonheart (1996)

A knight and dragon team up to take down an evil ruler.

Sean Connery is an actor who has certainly popped up in a lot of King Arthur movies, but his role in Dragonheart might be the most memorable despite the fact that he doesn't appear on screen. Dennis Quaid leads the movie as a sword for hire who runs a scam, hunting down fake dragons for a price. However, when he runs into a real dragon named Draco (voiced by Connery) the two form an unexpected bond and attempt to take down a corrupt ruler.

Far from jostling to be taken seriously, Dragonheart unselfishly frees its actors of the script's potentially grandiose shackles, instead allowing each character (especially the villains) monologues and overt mannerisms to run riot, making Dragonheart feel a maximalist production in every sense. Dragonheart 's visual effects were also stunning at the time of its release, with Draco's animations holding up well some 26 years later .

King Arthur (2004)

A gritty retelling of arthur's historical rise to power.

Though Antoine Fuqua is a director known for his modern action movies like the Equalizer movies , he brought his style to the medieval setting for this grounded and gritty take on King Arthur. Clive Owen stars as the titular king as he prepares to take on the invading Saxon forces, led by Stellan Skarsgard's compelling villain. The movie features Kiera Knightley as Guinevere, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot, Stephen Dillane as Merline, and a host of impressive supporting actors, like Ray Winstone, Mads Mikkelsen, and Joel Edgerton.

Fuqua's King Arthur is in a class of its own when delivering visceral, bone-crunching medieval action . Yet King Arthur remains much more than a sum of its goriest scenes, with its key cast representing the crop of British acting talent in 2004. Clive Owen, in particular, plays the part of an Artorius stripped of his typical bravado with such conviction it is hard to imagine a more convincing portrait of the burgeoning ruler in modern King Arthur movies to date.

Lancelot And Guinevere (1963)

A forbidden romance blooms between two of king arthur's closest companions.

Lancelot and Guinevere remains not only one of the oldest King Arthur stories to grace the big screen but also one of the most touching following its initial 1963 release. Cornel Wilde's classic depicts a lesser-known version of the Camelot legend, in which Lancelot (Cornel Wilde) must shed his image as a paragon of virtue to pursue and court King Arthur's (Brian Aherne) wife Guinevere (Jean Wallace), with their tryst ending in Arthur's wife being burned at the stake amid accusations of witchcraft.

Originally titled Sword of Lancelot for U.S. audiences, Lancelot and Guinevere remains a heartbreaking depiction of the inner workings of Camelot that stands the test of time. There is a grand sweeping epic feel to the movie in the style of Old Hollywood that is engrossing and feels fitting for this exploration of the legend.

The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

A young kid becomes a modern hero when inheriting excalibur.

Director Joe Cornish's previous movie, Attack the Block, put a winning cast of young characters in a fun and thrilling alien invasion story. The Kid Who Would Be King goes for a similar approach but with the youngster populating an Arthurian legend. It follows a young boy who must use Excalibur to take on an evil sorceress in modern-day England. Along with the cast of young actors, Patrick Stewart and Rebecca Ferguson provide some gravitas.

Despite being a commercial flop owed in part to a poor marketing strategy, The Kid Who Would Be King is an unbridled joy of a film for any of those able to look past its less-than-stellar title. A bold blend of Arthurian legend, CG monster action, and sharp comedy , The Kid Who Would Be King modernizes a classic story and makes it accessible (and enjoyable) for all ages, whether they are familiar with the medieval legends of Bedders and Morgan le Fay or not.

Army Of Darkness (1992)

Ash fights deadites in medieval times.

Of all the ways to adapt to the classic Arthurian legends, the most left-field option is undoubtedly Army of Darkness ' choice to place King Arthur and his fabled knights at the center of Ash's (Bruce Cambell) battle against the Deadites. Following the memorable twist at the end of Evil Dead 2 , the third movie picks up with Ash transported back to medieval times where he is faced with the same ancient evil he has been battling.

Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness marks a distinct departure from earlier Evil Dead franchise entries, taking on a more comical tone as Ash attempts to recite passages from the Necronomicon and fix his time travel gaffe which landed him in the Middle Ages, to begin with. Despite an outrageous premise, Army of Darkness is great fun wrapped up in surprisingly deep Evil Dead lore that is enhanced by its medieval setting and characters .

Excalibur (1981)

King arthur and merlin battle evil forces.

The King Arthur legend gets turned into a big, campy, and wonderfully epic adventure with the fantasy movie that ended up being a huge influence to many filmmakers that followed. Excalibur 's cast list reads like a who's who of premium actors in the early 1980s, with the peerless Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, and Ciarán Hinds all lending their prowess to John Boorman's dazzling visual spectacle.

More important than the film's visual settings, however, is how Excalibur humanizes the main players within the Arthurian legend , reducing Arthur, Merlin, and company to humans following their base urges as they attempt to navigate a harsh medieval landscape. Moreover, Helen Mirren is in dazzling form here, playing the evil Morgana's every salacious action with a glee that marks Excalibur as a must-see King Arthur movie.

The Sword In The Stone (1963)

A young boy begins his journey to the throne.

The Sword In The Stone taught generations of children the Arthurian legend in the years following its 1963 release and continues to be celebrated to this day. In typical Disney fashion, the animated feature forgoes the overt bloodshed of the real 15th Century to instead deliver a wholly captivating coming-of-age story as a young King Arthur comes to terms with his destiny.

In this way, The Sword In The Stone is a towering example of Disney's enduring magic as a classic that weaves poignant narrative beats into a vibrant historical world . While not often looked at as one of the animated studio's classics, it is one worth revisiting. In fact, the movie's sequence of Merlin and the villainous Madam Mim having a magic duel is one of the most underrated Disney moments of all time.

Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)

A comedic retelling of the arthurian heroes.

Although there are many King Arthur movies that provide comical moments, there are none that hold a candle to Terry Gilliam's comedic masterpiece, The Holy Grail . In a fashion typical of the legendary Monty Python troupe, The Holy Grail 's zaniness is infectious as it zips between references to Homer's Iliad , the Arthurian classics, and gratuitous pokes at Christianity with gleeful abandon.

While The Holy Grail pales only in comparison to Monty Python 's sketch adaptation The Life of Brian , it nonetheless remains a monument to the genius of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Gilliam himself. From the hilarious insulting French guard to the iconic Black Knight to the hilarious absurd ending to all the wackiness , it marks a triumphant Monty Python movie and the funniest King Arthur movie of all time.

The Green Knight (2021)

A young knight receives a terrifying challenge.

Not many superlatives can adequately do justice to the visual feast that is The Green Knight 's entire 130-minute runtime as it honors and deconstructs its source material in equal measure. The Green Knight from David Lowery, put simply, is spellbinding in that it weaves audiences into the inverted coming-of-age journey that the phenomenal Dev Patel goes through as Sir Gawain.

Stripped away from its numerous aesthetic thrills does little to diminish The Green Knight' s story as a spectacle, with its core message of facing one's demons as relevant and poignant today as it was in King Arthur's time of chivalry and mysticism. The Green Knight tackles heavy themes in an almost spectral manner , allowing each idea to float and take form as the seasons change around Gawain and his terrifying opponent, making it undoubtedly one of the best King Arthur movies to date.

Camelot (1967)

A musical take on the legend.

The only film able to oust Lowery's The Green Knight from the top spot is the timeless Arthurian tale Camelot . Based on the 1960 stage musical of the same name by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, Joshua Logan's Camelot is an unabashed and glittering production whose every shot is sumptuous by design. Intricately crafted sets, costumes, and a leading career-best duo of the highest order in Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave conspire to make this 1967 classic a must-see for any audience regardless of their passion for the tales of the Round Table.

Camelot cemented its status as one of the all-time great musical adaptations in its inaugural year by taking home three Golden Globes and three Academy Awards. That's a ceremonial sweep worthy of the best King Arthur movie to exist to date.

The Highest-Grossing Guy Ritchie Movies, Ranked

Quick links, operation fortune: ruse de guerre (2023), lock, stock and two smoking barrels (1998), snatch (2000), wrath of man (2021), the man from u.n.c.l.e. (2015), the gentlemen (2019), king arthur: legend of the sword (2017), sherlock holmes (2009), sherlock holmes: a game of shadows (2011), aladdin (2019).

Guy Ritchie's movies embody British grit, wit, and pace, setting the standard for action-packed narratives.
From Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels to Aladdin, Ritchie's movies collectively grossed $2.76 billion, establishing him as a top filmmaker.
Ritchie's highest-grossing film, Aladdin, broke the billion-dollar mark, showcasing his diverse range and success.

Guy Ritchie is simply the undisputed king of the British gangster flick.

Ritchie's films exude a distinctly British blend of gritty realism, razor-sharp wit, and breakneck pacing.

In 1995, he directed a short film titled The Hard Case, which laid the groundwork for his explosive feature debut, Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels in 1998.

This film set the tone for future Guy Ritchie movies, and heralded the arrival of a new voice in the realm of action-packed narratives.

Over the years, Ritchie has expanded his repertoire, exploring various genres while maintaining his exceptional touch.

As of the time of publication, Ritchie has directed a total of 16 films, which have collectively grossed a remarkable $2.76 billion at the global box office.

In addition to his myriad accolades, his films have greatly impacted his fiscal standing; Guy Ritchie has an estimated net worth of $150 million.

Today, let's look at the highest-grossing Guy Ritchie movies.

The Cast Of Netflix's 'The Gentlemen,' Ranked By Net Worth

Global box office, operation fortune: ruse de guerre - $48,983,306.

Guy Ritchie's latest espionage escapade sees him reunite with action icon Jason Statham .

In Operation Fortune , Statham is super-spy Orson Fortune, tasked with the high-stakes mission of tracking down a deadly new weapon.

Expect the usual Ritchie cocktail: explosive action, a globe-trotting plot, charismatic villains (hello, Hugh Grant !), and a healthy dose of self-aware humor.

The film was a grand vision, a feast for the eyes, but ultimately stumbled at the box office, failing to deliver the knockout blow producers had hoped for.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre grossed $6.5 million in the United States and Canada and $42.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $49 million on the back of a $50 million budget.

Global Box Office, Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels - $28,356,188

This is where it all began: the audacious crime caper that launched Guy Ritchie's career and redefined the British gangster genre.

Lock, Stock is adrenaline-fueled by interweaving plotlines, a gritty London backdrop, and razor-sharp wit.

With a shoestring budget of around $1 million, Ritchie pulled off a cinematic spectacle, making every penny scream from the screen — and it introduced the world to future action stars Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones .

A tangled plot involving lost money, antique shotguns, and ruthless gangsters, Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels is the ultimate British racket.

The movie grossed $3.7 million in North America and continued to draw in a further $24.6 million from other territories, accumulating a total of $28.3 million worldwide.

Fast, Furious: The Highest-Grossing Jason Statham Movies

Global box office, snatch - $83,557,872.

If Lock, Stock lit the fuse, Snatch was the explosion.

Ritchie's sophomore effort amped up everything fans loved: the intricate plotting, the motley crew of underworld characters, and the whip-smart dialogue delivered in gloriously thick accents.

Brad Pitt 's utterly unintelligible turn as an Irish traveler added star power that propelled the film across the Atlantic.

It also maintains a consistent visual style and reunites many familiar faces, including Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham.

From a production budget of $10 million, Snatch grossed $30.3 million in North America and an additional $53.2 million in other territories, totaling $83.5 million worldwide .

Global Box Office, Wrath Of Man - $103,966,489

Guy Ritchie reunited with his action muse, Jason Statham, for a vengeance-fueled thrill ride in the thriller Wrath Of Man .

A remake of the French action film Le Convoyeur, the film is a masterclass in controlled chaos.

Statham plays a mysterious security guard with a hidden past who joins an armored truck company.

When a violent heist leaves the crew shaken, Statham's character's true motives and lethal skills come to light.

Ritchie's signature frenetic camerawork and darkly comedic moments are on full display, all building to a brutal and satisfying climax.

Despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic, which saw many theaters operating below full capacity, Wrath Of Man performed impressively at the box office.

Wrath of Man grossed $27.5 million in the United States and Canada and $76.5 million in other territories, for a total of $104 million worldwide .

The Highest-Grossing Henry Cavill Movies, Ranked

Global box office, the man from u.n.c.l.e. - $110,045,109.

Cold War connoisseurs and fans of impeccably tailored suits will find this entry particularly interesting.

Ritchie tackled the world of espionage with The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a stylish re-imagining of the 1960s television series.

Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer are a sight for sore eyes, as Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin are forced to put aside Cold War hostilities to work together against a mysterious criminal organization.

The film's aesthetic, high-fashion 1960s costumes, and thrilling set pieces offer a refreshing take on the spy genre.

Regrettably, given its massive budget, the film proved to be a financial disappointment for Warner Bros.

Operating on a production budget of $75 million, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. grossed $45.4 million in North America and $64.4 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $109.8 million , against a production budget of $75 million.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. lost the studio at least $80 million when factoring together all expenses and revenues.

Global Box Office, The Gentlemen - $115,175,729

The Gentlemen saw Ritchie returning to familiar territory, the twisted, darkly comedic underworld of British gangsters.

Packed with crisp dialogue, outrageous characters, and detailed plots, The Gentlemen felt like a love letter to his earlier hits.

Think Matthew McConaughey as an American expat marijuana kingpin, Hugh Grant as a sleazy tabloid reporter, and Colin Farrell as a tracksuit-wearing boxing coach with hidden depths.

This star-studded ensemble delivered the Ritchie formula fans craved, earning decent critical praise and even better box office results. The film's success paved the way for expanded storytelling, inspiring a spin-off series .

Recently, Netflix released that spin-off series, also titled The Gentlemen, featuring stars like Theo James, Giancarlo Esposito, Vinnie Jones, and Ray Winstone. This series quickly became a standout hit for the streaming service.

The Gentlemen grossed $15.9 million in the United Kingdom, $36.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $62.8 million in other countries, for a total of $115.2 million worldwide .

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Global box office, king arthur: legend of the sword - $149,175,066.

Guy Ritchie took a bold swing with King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, a big-budget re-imagining of the Arthurian legend.

Starring Charlie Hunnam as a streetwise Arthur who discovers his royal lineage, the film promised a gritty, action-packed twist on the classic tale.

A surprising misstep for Ritchie, the epic fantasy film lacked the sharp humor and explosive action that are hallmarks of his work.

Even the violence felt curiously tame, failing to deliver the visceral thrills expected of a PG-13 rating.

This significant deviation from his usual style, combined with an underwhelming box office performance, led to the cancelation of a planned six-film franchise.

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword grossed $39.2 million in the United States and Canada and $107 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $146.2 million , against a production budget of $175 million.

The film's failure resulted in substantial losses for Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, exceeding $153 million.

Global Box Office, Sherlock Holmes - $524,028,679

Guy Ritchie gave Sherlock Holmes a 21st-century makeover with Robert Downey Jr. 's hyperactive genius sleuth .

Ritchie's kinetic energy breathes fresh life into the iconic characters as Holmes and a surprisingly feisty Watson ( Jude Law ) unravel a plot with global implications.

Ritchie re-imagined Holmes as not just a brilliant mind but also a bare-knuckle brawler, injecting high-octane action and a steampunk-ish aesthetic into the mix.

The film debuted in North America with a robust opening weekend, earning $62.4 million and securing the second box office spot , just behind James Cameron 's Avatar.

Sherlock Holmes went on to gross $209 million in North America and $315 million from other territories, for a global total of $524 million.

Robert Downey Jr.'s Remarkable Journey, From Rock Bottom To Box Office Gold

Global box office, sherlock holmes: a game of shadows - $543,848,418.

Ritchie, Downey Jr., and Law returned for Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, with higher stakes than ever, and Ritchie ups the ante with even more stylized action and witty dialogue.

A Game Of Shadows not only matched, but in some ways surpassed its predecessor, by exploring the complexities of its characters and enhancing the visually rich depiction of 19th-century England.

The film is particularly noted for its adaptation of "The Final Problem," the most celebrated Sherlock Holmes story, which introduces Holmes's arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, played with finesse by Jared Harris .

The film received predominantly mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the action sequences and the performances of Downey, Law, and Harris, but criticism over the poor use of its supporting cast.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows earned $186.8 million in North America and $357 million in other territories, for a total of $543.4 million worldwide .

Global Box Office, Aladdin - $1,054,304,000

In an unexpected yet brilliant turn, Guy Ritchie was tapped by Disney to direct the live-action adaptation of Aladdin, a decision that might have seemed unconventional given his track record with gritty, fast-paced thrillers.

However, his adaptation of Aladdin exceeded expectations, pulling in an impressive $1.054 billion globally , making it the highest-grossing Guy Ritchie movie by a significant margin.

The film struck gold, with $356.6 million in North America and $695.1 million from other markets worldwide, against a production budget of $183 million.

Ritchie's trademark fast-paced style translated surprisingly well into the film's elaborate musical numbers, and with a character like the Genie being one of Disney's most comedic creations, Ritchie surely had a blast crafting hilarious one-liners for Will Smith .

The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its music and costume design. According to Deadline Hollywood, Aladdin secured a net profit of $356 million , considering all expenses and revenues.

The Highest-Grossing Guy Ritchie Movies, Ranked

Game of Thrones: Who Was Ser Arthur Dayne?

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Game of Thrones: The Night's Watch Orders, Explained

House of the dragon: cregan stark and the pact of ice and fire, explained, star trek: enterprise - what happened to jonathan archer.

Most of the characters in Game of Thrones are horrible people. Power turns reasonable people into monsters with a near-100% success rate. The few heroic characters tend to lose their innocence or die horrible deaths as someone with fewer moral scruples seizes control. The execution of Eddard Stark, a flawed man who stands above most of the cast when it comes to purity, sends Westeros into a massive war. Before he passed, the death of Ser Arthur Dayne stood as one of his darkest moments.

Game of Thrones has a massive ensemble cast, but the show almost never puts an ill-fitting performer in a role. Casting directors Nina Gold and Robert Sterne deserve celebration for finding excellent actors, even for very minor roles. Luke Roberts, for example, appeared briefly as Ser Arthur Dayne. Roberts is a great character actor who is well-known for his role in Black Sails . He'll soon make a massive splash in gaming as the voice and motion capture performer behind James Sunderland in the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake.

The men who guard the Wall might look like they spend most of their time fending off frozen horrors, but the crows have several jobs to choose from.

Who was Ser Arthur Dayne?

Ser Arthur Dayne was a knight who served under King Aerys II Targaryen in King's Landing. His family, House Dayne, is one of the oldest dynasties in the Seven Kingdoms. They claim First Men ancestry and reside in Dorne, the landing site of the first humans in Westeros. During the Dawn Age , House Dayne established Starfall, a mighty castle on an island in the river Torentine. It's said that the first representative of House Dayne followed the path of a falling star and found a magic stone at its conclusion. They took this strange rock, likely a chunk of meteoric iron, and forged it into a pale-bladed greatsword. House Dayne dubbed its ancestral weapon "Dawn" and based their legacy around it. Only a suitably worthy knight of House Dayne can wield Dawn. The sword will sit in Starfall for as long as it takes for the next rightful wielder to emerge. The man who carries Dawn takes the title "Sword of the Morning." Ser Arthur Dayne was his generation's Sword of the Morning.

What did Ser Arthur Dayne accomplish?

Ser Arthur Dayne is best known as one of King Aerys II Targaryen's Kingsguard. Nearly every character who mentions him takes time to mention that he may have been the best to ever take the gig. The Mad King had seven knights among his personal security team. Everyone from Catelyn Stark to Jamie Lannister took time out to call Arthur the best of them. Barristan Selmy, a massively respected warrior, believed that Arthur would have defeated him in a fair fight. He was considered unmatched as a swordsman and a leader. On top of his martial prowess, many praised Arthur for his virtue. The Seven Kingdoms expected knights to uphold the chivalric code, but many fell short of those lofty ideals. Ser Arthur embodied the nobility and idealism of a true knight. He was Prince Rhaegar Targaryen's closest friend, Jamie Lannister's personal idol , and the finest knight most knights ever saw.

Arthur's most notable accomplishment in the text came when he and a band of knights fought the Kingswood Brotherhood. The Kingswood Brotherhood was a band of brigands that terrorized King's Landing. Its leader came from a family that House Targaryen destroyed over a petty grudge. Aerys II sent Arthur and several knights into the Kingswood to stop them. Arthur demonstrated his intelligence and kindness by mending relationships with the local peasants. After earning the smallfolk's trust , Arthur gained the ability to hunt the Kingswood Brotherhood without letting them slip away. Arthur defeated the Smiling Knight, a gifted swordsman, in single combat. During that conflict, he knighted Jamie Lannister.

How did Ser Arthur Dayne die?

Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell killed Ser Arthur Dayne. Arthur, a loyal servant of the Iron Throne and whoever happens to be on it, found himself on the wrong side of Robert's Rebellion. His moral judgment disallowed him from abandoning his post. Despite the Mad King's brutality , Arthur was a dedicated knight, and his opponents were, legally, traitors. Arthur, Oswell Whent, and Gerold Hightower met Ned Stark at the Tower of Joy. Official records state that Ned slayed Arthur in single combat, but Bran Stark's flashback demonstrates another story. Arthur would have defeated Ned in a fair fight. However, Ned's ally, Jojen Reed, stabs Arthur in the back of his neck. In a show of respect, Ned cleanly decapitated Arthur with Dawn, then personally delivered the sacred blade back to Starfall to await its next wielder. Stark sums up the event like this:

The finest knight I ever saw was Ser Arthur Dayne, who fought with a blade called Dawn, forged from the heart of a fallen star. They called him the Sword of the Morning, and he would have killed me but for Howland Reed.

This is a massive moment in Ned Stark's life. He supports Robert's Rebellion wholeheartedly, partially due to Rhaegar Targaryen's kidnapping of his sister, Lyanna. Arthur is unquestionably in the wrong here, but he remains a sworn warrior for an unjust ruler. This reinforces several narrative themes in Game of Thrones . Arthur cannot evade responsibility for the actions of those who give him orders. He believes in the system strongly enough to lay down his life. This also demonstrates the moral decline of Ned Stark. He's one of the most righteous characters in the franchise, but to accomplish his noble goal, he had to kill the living embodiment of the true knight's philosophy. No one attains or serves power without getting their hands dirty. Even the Sword of the Morning and the Warden of the North will break the codes and laws they hold themselves to when playing the Game of Thrones .

House of the Dragon - Season 2 should be home to Cregan Stark and Jacaerys making the Pact of Ice and Fire.

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Warner Bros. to Release New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ in 2026, Peter Jackson to Produce and Andy Serkis to Direct

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Warner Bros. will release the first of its new batch of live-action “ The Lord of the Rings ” films in 2026, which will focus on Andy Serkis’ Gollum.

Original “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are producing the movie and “will be involved every step of the way,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during an earnings call Thursday.

The project is currently in the early stages of script development from writers Walsh and Boyens, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, and will “explore storylines yet to be told,” Zaslav said.

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Warner Bros. first announced in February 2023 that then-newly installed studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy had brokered a deal to make “multiple” films based on the beloved J.R.R. Tolkien books. The projects will be developed through WB label New Line Cinema. Freemode, a division of Embracer Group, made the adaptive rights deal for books including “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” under a venture named Middle-earth Enterprises.

A separate, animated Middle-earth movie, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” is due on Dec. 13 via Warner Bros. and director Kenji Kamiyama. That movie is set 200 years before the events of “The Hobbit.”

Jackson, Walsh and Boyens added: “It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker — Gollum! As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”

“Yesssss, Precious,” Serkis said. “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa. With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our filmmaking family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”

The original “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, helmed by Jackson, grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide; Jackson’s follow-up trilogy based on Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” matched those grosses.

Jackson’s first “LOTR” trilogy starred Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin and Cate Blanchett. That trio of films was nominated for 30 Academy Awards and took home 17 trophies, including best picture for 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

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COMMENTS

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword movie review (2017)
Michael Bay has often been accused of turning in feature length motion pictures so over-edited that they feel like trailers for themselves, but I don't think Bay has ever made a movie as frantically, pointlessly, tediously busy as "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword." Not content to do that time-tested Guy Ritchie story-about-a-story thing ...
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
But as a new take it is great Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/21/24 Full Review Deborah B I still think this is the best rendition of the King Arthur legend we have seen in a long ...
'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword' Review
Film Review: 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword'. 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' director Guy Ritchie treats the Arthurian legend as opportunity for another rowdy chase after an elusive ...
'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword' Review
'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,' Guy Ritchie's violent, unsentimental take on the beloved British tale, stars Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law and Eric Bana.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
This is one of the duller and uglier blockbusters in recent Hollywood summer fare. Put that sword back where you found it Arthur, it's a bit blunt. Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Aug 30, 2020 ...
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is surprisingly good, and ...
The legend of Arthur, it turns out, is a pretty ideal fit for Ritchie's talents, and for 2017, too. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword hits the sweet spot where fans of superhero blockbusters ...
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Movie Review
Parents Need to Know. Parents need to know that King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is director Guy Ritchie's loud, stylized, violent take on the origin story of England's legendary king and the mythology surrounding his magical sword, Excalibur. Starring Charlie Hunnam and Jude Law, the movie includes most of Ritchie's signature…
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword: Directed by Guy Ritchie. With Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou. Robbed of his birthright, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy - whether he likes it or not.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword is a big budget movie, no doubt about that, with alot of effort with the special effects, CGI's, costumes and extras. But the problem is the story and the acting. The story is just weak, and sometimes makes no sense at all.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Movie Review
Legend of the Sword's brazen reimagining of Arthurian mythos, coupled with Ritchie's style, makes for a bombastic yet entertaining King Arthur epic.. In the ancient settlement of Londinium, young working-class man Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) makes his way protecting the women of the brothel where he was raised and operating with his gang of fellow pickpockets and thieves; in the process ...
Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
With so much going on, there is precious little room for such luxuries as story, plot, character development and clear, coherent direction. This results in overwhelming confusion and obfuscation, as well as Ritchie's constant anachronisms, including score, dialogue and period technology.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Review
The actor gives us an Arthur comfortable in his old, smaller life - one who finds this greater destiny forced upon him. Much of the film consists of his journey to being king, and Hunnam does his ...
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Review
Like most Guy Ritchie movies, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is best in its element when it focuses on what the filmmaker does well: showcase smalltime, smartass crooks cracking wise and maybe ...
'King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword' Review: Guy Ritchie's Movie Is
By Karen Han / May 12, 2017 7:00 am EST. Guy Ritchie 's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword shares its DNA with the big action movies of the late '90s/early 2000s. As insane as the proceedings become ...
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Summary When the child Arthur's father is murdered, Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur's uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to ...
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword Review
Read the Empire Movie review of King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword. Ritchie's geezerfied King Arthur occasionally sparkles before being scuppered by generic effects,...
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Variety Peter Debruge. Ultimately, "King Arthur" is just a loud, obnoxious parade of flashy set pieces, as one visually busy, belligerent action scene after another marches by, each making less sense than the last, but all intended to overwhelm. See all 45 reviews on Metacritic.com. See all external reviews for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword : EW review
Guy Ritchie's knights of the Round Table origin story, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, is two-plus hours of sorcery, swashbuckling, and supersize CG snakes and swamp rats. Somewhere in all of ...
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a 2017 epic fantasy action-adventure film directed by Guy Ritchie who co-wrote the film with Joby Harold and Lionel Wigram from a story by Harold and David Dobkin, inspired by Arthurian legends.The film stars Charlie Hunnam as the title character and Jude Law as the tyrannical king Vortigern who is attempting to kill him, with Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon ...
Movie Review
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, 2017. Directed by Guy Ritchie Starring Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, Annabelle Wallis, Hermione Corfield, Katie ...
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword review
G uy Ritchie's cheerfully ridiculous Arthur is a gonzo monarch, a death-metal warrior-king. Ritchie's film is at all times over the top, crashing around its digital landscapes in all manner of ...
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Movie Review. To paraphrase Kermit, it's not easy being king. Just ask Vortigern, proud monarch of the ancient British Isles. I mean, it took him some time just to become king—what with his annoyingly do-gooding brother, Uther Pendragon, being the rightful ruler and all.. Uther's heroism and handy magic sword, Excalibur, certainly didn't make bumping the guy off any easier, either: It ...
Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
A review of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. A New Look at a Legend starring Charlie Hunnam as Arthur and Jude Law. Guy Ritchie directs. ... If you're a dedicated fan of the King Arthur legends and its characters, the new movie King Arthur: Legend of the Sword might affect you in two different ways. Either you'll be interested in seeing a ...
Every King Arthur Movie, Ranked Worst To Best
The extensive nature of the Arthurian world allows for some tales of heroes beyond Arthur himself. Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a low-budget retelling of the classic 14th-century poem which stars Arthur's young knight Gawain (Miles O'Keeffe) accepting a challenge to fight a mysterious Green Knight, who proves to be a more mystical foe than he initially ...
The Highest-Grossing Guy Ritchie Movies, Ranked
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017) Global Box Office, King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword - $149,175,066 . Guy Ritchie took a bold swing with King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, a big-budget re ...
Game of Thrones: Who Was Ser Arthur Dayne?
Despite the Mad King's brutality, Arthur was a dedicated knight, and his opponents were, legally, traitors. Arthur, Oswell Whent, and Gerold Hightower met Ned Stark at the Tower of Joy.
New 'Lord of the Rings' Movie Coming in 2026, Andy Serkis Directing
A separate, animated Middle-earth movie, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim," is due on Dec. 13 via Warner Bros. and director Kenji Kamiyama. That movie is set 200 years before ...

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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is surprisingly good, and surprisingly political

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Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Review

'King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword' Review: Guy Ritchie's Movie Is Better (And Weirder) Than Expected

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