Movie #58 -- King Arthur

Title: King Arthur

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Release Year: 2004

Plot Summary: A De-mysitified look at King Arthur and his knights of the round table.

Thoughts: If you're planning on sitting down and watching this movie expecting Merlin's magic, Arthur removing Excalibur from a stone (well, you kinda get that sort of in a way a little), dragons, and a love triangle, you will be vastly dissapointed. If you're planning on a sword-and-sandle epic, then you've indeed come to the right place.

The theatrical release was rated pg-13, when it clearly should have been rated R. Then again, it was a Disney release and we all know their position of rated R movies. But trying to depict the brutal nature of this film in a pg-13 context doesn't work, at least not for me and it's desperately obvious to anyone who saw it. However, the "unrated" director's cut (which undoubtedly would have been rated R) does a much better of telling the story and subsequently depicting the violent warfare.

A commercial dissapointment (at least domestically). The direction of Antoine Fuqua is above par, but the lack of stars other than Keira Knightley (who, I will admit, was the only reason that I saw this film in the theaters) certainly didn't help things. I will say that Stellan Sarsgaard who's resume' is spotty at best is quite good in this move as a brooding Cerdic. Clive Owen in the title role and Iaon Gruffudd as Lancelot are serviceable in their performances, but nothing spectacular.

Taken as a "historical" epic, it's pretty good. The problem lies in the fact that I was familiar with the Arturian Legend and was expecting something else.

Rating (0-10): pg-13 theatrical release: 5.5 / "unrated" director's cut: 6.8

Recomendations: As far as sword-and-sandal epics go, you can do alot worse ("Alexander", "Conan the Barbarian") or alot better ("Braveheart", "Gladiator"). Nothing overly memorable about this film, but worth two hours. Unless you are like me and are addicted to Keira Knightley, then you have to have it.