King Arthur (2017)

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

The Cockney King

Given the riling reviews King Arthur has summoned in critic circles, my expectations for this new Guy Ritchie instalment were understandably low. Add to that my lack of passion toward any previous Guy Ritchie feature, I expected his take on the Arthurian legend to be another pleasurable experience. However, like many other occasions, when expectations are at an incredibly low standard, even the most ponderous film can surpass those expectations. Ritchie’s better works such as Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels are entertaining but do leave a lot to be desired. And King Arthur follows a similar pattern. The film opens with a thrilling battle sequence that encapsulates the entertaining banality of the entire film. Who doesn’t want to see enchanted beings attacking Camelot on the back of two-hundred foot elephants? However, Ritchie’s most prominent traits is his use of dialogue that can only be described as the “cockney geezer” type. Along with this, his preferred editing style of leaping forward temporally and then constantly back track, taking two steps forward only to take one step back. They are enjoyable techniques when applied in particular doses but it’s over usage becomes a pain.

It’s not that King Arthur is rubbish, it just isn’t that good. There are some neat uses of cinematography along with enjoyable exchanges between characters. But these moments are overshadowed by things such as the lack of variation in Charlie Hunman, the Matrix Reloaded style special effects and the perpetual nods to other films, intentional or not. For example there is one moment when Jude Law monotonously explains how his kingship has lasted so long through fear. As this monologue is voiced, I was just crying out for Bob the Butcher from Gangs of New York to come into Camelot and recount his iconic soliloquy.

I did enjoy the stupidity of King Arthur, but I wouldn’t recommend to pay the full cinema price to see it. Instead await its inevitable appearance on Channel 4 in around seven months.