The tale of King Arthur is a familiar one.
- Boy comes from good family
- Jealous Uncle wants the throne
- Boy escapes family’s slaughter at the hands of Uncle
- Boy Returns to avenge family and reclaim what’s His
What makes this version of the King Arthur story work is director Guy Ritchie’s ability to tell a hundred year old story in a way that retains the classic elements yet still livens it up in a way that makes you think of a kid from the block that had a lot of family problems, hung around with the wrong crowd, but still grew up to be somebody.
(Light Spoilers ahead)
Instead of spending an extended amount of time explaining Arthur’s (Charlie Hunnam) childhood after his parents are killed, and boring the audience to death in the process, his earliest years are cleverly presented in a flashback time lapse sequence that brings the audience into real time while still giving a nod to his years of being raised in squalor by the town’s undesirables.
As the film progresses into the familiar benchmarks (becoming a target after removing the sword from the stone, rallying the troops to stage a revolution, and an epic showdown with the evil uncle), interjections of humor and effects move the story along with Djimon Hounsou (Bedivere) and Jude Law (Vortigern) supplying compelling performances to keep things lively.
With cockiness and resilience on his side, The Legend of The Sword shows an Arthur that isn’t a real underdog but instead a street smart guy waiting for space and opportunity to make his move.
As expected, the movie comes to a close with the rightful King prevailing and a turn-up for everyone who was shooting with him in the gym.
BSO Grade: B –
To watch interviews on the red carpet with the cast plus bonus feature from the film’s roundtable with Guy Ritchie and star Charlie Hunnam, flip the pages.
