King arthur: Legend of the sword
Geezers Of The Round Table
released OUt NOW! 2017 | 12 | blu-ray (3d, standard)/dVd/ download
Director Guy ritchie Cast charlie Hunnam, Jude law, djimon Hounsou, Àstrid bergès-Frisbey
Guy “Lock Stock” Ritchie delivers an original take on the sword in the stone. Black-clad authorities force peasants to attempt to draw the legendary weapon. Unsuccessful candidates are branded to show they are not the Born King. Around them is scattered devastation caused by elephants the size of mountains.
Alas, this inventiveness is negated by cockney gangster dialogue and pompous slow-mo. As ruffian Arthur rises to lead the rebellion, almost everything of significance is clumsily told in montage or flashback.
But it’s not unwatchable. Breathless with ideas, both grand and silly, it’s actually rather hypnotic. Ritchie’s crafted a weird fairytale that stumbles somewhere between CGI-filled high camp and modern grimdark earthiness. It’s as if the Merlin TV show robbed a bank and went berserk. Jude Law as the fascist Vortigern doesn’t so much chew the scenery as scowl until it catches fire. Legend Of The Sword is a mess, but it’s certainly more fun than 2004’s King Arthur.
Extras Just eight jovial on-set featurettes. We find out how much of a fan of John Boorman’s Excalibur Charlie Hunnam is in “Arthur With Swagger” (10 minutes). “Sword From The Stone” (19 minutes) and “Legend Of Excalibur” (six minutes) explore the myth. “Parry And Bleed” (six minutes) and “The Action Of King Arthur” (six minutes) interview fight coordinators. Designing the huge sets is covered in “Building On The Past” (14 minutes) and “Camelot In 93 Days” (10 minutes). A quick trip to “Scenic Scotland” (five minutes) reveals the moody landscapes where outdoor scenes were filmed. Dave Bradley
One of Charlie Hunnam’s legs is 16mm shorter than the other one, giving him his deliberate, rolling gait.