King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
- May 13, 2017
- 2 min read
The first trailer for King Arthur had me doing an Anderson Cooper esk eye roll. As much as I love blockbuster action movies, I must admit that we may have just a few too many, a bit too often, of unfortunately low quality. Then I noticed that the movie was under the direction of Guy Ritchie who also directed the two Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes, movies which I loved, and my interest grew. While many action movies can feel like they are all explosions and violence, Guy Ritchie always brings a certain style to his films that makes his work stand out. My fiends then pointed in the direction of an interview between Guy Ritchie and Joe Rogan on his podcast. The focus of the conversation while they discussed the new movie was the abundance of action movies that the summer faces and what to make of the current market.
The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast dove into the great things about the hero's journey, how the King Arthur release date was held back by other summer movies, and mentioned just how much CGI the move has... Finally I saw the movie.
King Arthur ends up being a film that is both more style than substance, and fails to show more than it tells. This strange paradox is glaring in the countless flashback scenes. For a two hour movie at least half of the movie might just be the opening scene being revisited as a poor replacement for character development. This decision bleeds into the action too. Every time Excalibur is used there is a blur of smoke and darkness that completely obscures what is happening. It is difficult to tell who anyone is either in these fights because of the overwhelming CGI. Lastly the final fight has more in common with an ITunes visualizer than an epic battle with swords. It all feels like such an unnecessary mess.
However the Guy Ritchie style does still shine through. It may be difficult to tell who the characters are, but their quips are unmistakable. You may be unable to tell who is fighting, but the music makes sure that you remember all of the other Guy Ritchie movies that you love. The flashbacks too have the Ritchie touch that makes them just a little bit more enjoyable than what they could have ended up as in another director's hands. This all leaves the movie is a very strange place.
Based on the comments that Guy Ritchie made on the Joe Rogan Experience it sounded like King Arthur may be able to break out an do something new. Sadly it does not. The quick wit and the style of the movie are great, but it does not make the movie easy to recommend unless you are already a huge fan of Ritchie's brand. For every enjoyable moment the movie presents there is a pile of mud that you are forced to crawl through to the next part.
6.5/10
Comments