#FilmReview King Arthur: Legend of the Sword #Myth #Legend

Film Review

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – 4*

As a huge fan of fantasy, myth, and legend it was inevitable that I’d be drawn to a film with sorcery, knights, and mythical swords.

Legend has it that King Arthur was the head of Camelot where he ruled with his Knights of the Round Table. Whether he truly existed is still open to discussion, but as I am a believer, I will sign myself up for any book, TV show or movie which feeds my fantasy.

Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur is pretty good. There is a man called Arthur, a brief mention of Merlin and Camelot plus a sparkly sword set in stone. That’s about as deep as the myth and legends go. However, if you do love fabulous special effects, plenty of sword swinging action, and Ritchie’s well known punchy humour then you’ll enjoy this movie.

It’s got Guy Ritchie written all over it, but I think he’s pretty cool, so it was a win-win for me. There’s a cameo appearance from the man himself as well as a well-known ex-footballer whose acting might be slightly questionable, but for eye-candy purposes, I’ll let it slide.

I’m a big fan of Jude Law, and he plays a marvellous part as Vortigern, the ruthless, power crazy King. He is joined by an impressive line-up of stars including Djimon Hounsou (Furious 7, Tarzan), Eric Bana (Star Trek, Deliver us from Evil), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, Maze Runner), and Annabelle Wallis (The Tudors, The Mummy). The mage sent by Merlin is played by actress, Astrid Berges-Frisbey (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides).

As I’ve never (or haven’t got around to it yet) watched Sons of Anarchy, I’m relatively new to the charms of Charlie Hunnam, after watching him in action as Arthur I can say he’s won me over! He’s a perfect fit for Guy Ritchie’s unique way of filmmaking and delivers his one-liners with grace.

There’s that typical Ritchie laddish thread of camaraderie running throughout the film which is tied up nicely at the end. The cinematography is great with fast action interspersed with that thing filmmakers do when time slows down to create an impact (I’m pretty sure there’s a specific word for it, but I haven’t got a clue what it is – answers in the comments please).

We see Arthur mature from a child to a man through a series of fast snippets of film. At the same time, we watch the kingdom slip deeper into darkness as Vortigern’s power increases. In a way, it was a huge info dump in a short space of time, but it worked.

King Arthur has received a bad rap from certain film critics, but I liked it. If you crave lots of sword fights, special effects worthy of a Harry Potter film, and the occasional laugh, then I’d recommend King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

Film Blurb:

After the murder of his father, young Arthur’s power-hungry uncle Vortigern seizes control of the crown. Robbed of his birthright, he grows up the hard way in the back alleys of the city, not knowing who he truly is. When fate leads him to pull the Excalibur sword from stone, Arthur embraces his true destiny to become a legendary fighter and leader.

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