Another King Arthur Movie? Don't Worry, This One's Pretty Fun!

   The story of King Arthur and Camelot has become one of the great myths of our day. It's a story that has been told countless times, and will probably continue to be told forever. When it comes to film adaptations of the story, there are countless iterations. Even within the last decade, Arthur's tale has been told more times than one can imagine. This weekend marks the opening for yet another adaptation of the beloved tale. When it comes to rehashing stories that have previously been done, you've got to bring something new to the table to give your version some sense of relevancy. Take a risk, try something new, but just don't copy what has been done before. Thankfully, Guy Richie was at the helm of this new vision, and I have to say (with no surprise from anyone who knows me) that I absolutely loved King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

   The basic premise of the tale is present in this telling. Duped out of his birthright, Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) ends up attending the school of hard knocks, being raised in the back alleys of the city. When the evil King Vortigern (Jude Law) begins rising in power, the waters around the castle recede, bringing Excalibur forth, lodged in stone. But, once Arthur pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy, whether he likes it or not. The bare bones of the tale we all know are there, but once you start throwing in the Guy Richie flavor, it becomes a completely fresh take. The tale of Arthur has always had its fair share of magic. This movie doubles down on that aspect. Mages are a race of beings that once lived in harmony with man, but Vortigern seeks to destroy them. Even Excalibur has this new sense of power about it when the true bearer grips it with both hands. Fools get jacked up, lemme tell ya! This version is less grounded and more mystical, and it has more fantasty elements to it that I had imagined.

   Guy Richie has his own visual style. There are directors out there who have honed their own visual style to a point that if you didn't know before watching you could probably guess it was their work. Zack Snyder immediately comes to mind, with his slow-mo action scenes and his use of bright, contrasting colors. Quentin Tarantino is another, whose narrative style is like none other. Guy Richie is among those for me. He has this way of making movies with brisk-paced narratives grounded in quick editing and front-to-back storytelling (when characters narrate what will happen in the future while the story shows these actions playing out in real time). Richie's Sherlock Holmes films did this a lot, and more so here in Legend of the Sword. What Richie does with the camera is really fun and fresh as well, when you consider the type of story he's telling. He likes to use this go-pro style from time to time with his characters, typically while they're running. It's weird and fun and breaks up the monotony of most action scenes. Visually, Legend of the Sword is really fun to watch. It's a narrative that doesn't really pause to let you breath, that doesn't take itself serious, and delivers a raucous good time.

   The acting is pretty good across the board. Charlie Hunnam has gotten flack time and time again for his performances, and he can sometimes be a bit wooden, but all in all he was pretty good in this film. My only gripe with him is that his accent would come and go at times, but I was wrapped up in the narrative and it didn't take away from my experience. Jude Law was great as the big baddie. Eric Bana plays Arthur's father, and who can't get enough of Eric Bana, am I right? He's just awesome. The supporting cast is pretty good, but the stand out for me if there was one was Astrid Bergès-Frisbey who plays the Mage that helps Arthur. I'm sure most people will disagree with me. She doesn't really have a lot of dialogue and her delivery is sometimes monotone, but I couldn't help but be drawn into the subtle nuances of her performance.

   King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is by no means a perfect, Oscar-caliber movie. It is a ton of fun though. Visually it can be jarring at times. Seeing this tale through the Guy Richie lens is a different experience if you're familiar with the story or particularly keen on a past iteration; but that's what makes this movie great. Originality is just one of those things that seems to be in short supply in Hollywood, so if you're going to tell a story that's been done before, make it your own and do something new. Guy Richie did that, and for the most part I think it works. There's some truly stunning cinematography at times, and the action scenes are a blast, especially when Excalibur is involved. From start to finish, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a fun time out at the movies, and I recommend it whole-heartily.