British showbiz

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is an epic fantasy action adventure film. Inspired by the British Arthurian legends, directed by Guy Ritchie, and stars Charlie Hunnam, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, Jude Law and Eric Bana. In cinemas next year, check out the early trailer…

If you don’t know much about the legend, please proceed to wiki for a long read if interested. In short, this movie follows the young Arthur who fights against his evil uncle and claims his rightful throne; and he does that with the help of a mage, some warriors, and the legendary Excalibur sword.

Historians are still debating whether King Arthur is real or just a myth. There are many folklore about the legend (and his knights), and some are pretty wild with mages and dragons. It’s widely agreed though, that it’s set in medieval Britain around the 5-6th century, and this film is way off in that sense…

It’s fine to have some modernised ideas in an old-age setting, but they shouldn’t overdo it. The filmmakers obviously want the movie to be in a medieval theme, but for some reasons think that it’s smart to rewrite the cultural stuff just because they can. Creativity or whatever, it’s not my cup of tea.

Besides, many people who are interested in Arthurian legends are fond with the medieval background. Marketing wise it’s a bad idea to discard those aspects in the movie, which looks more like Game of Thrones or some video games instead. Good luck if they think that it’s a good idea.

The trailer is interesting from neutral point of view though. I’ll never forgive the fashion and those dashing hairs among other things. But the visual effects are decent, and I like the song – The Devil and The Huntsman by Sam Lee and Daniel Pemberton – in later part of the video.

Review and updates – we won’t be seeing Merlin

The film is above average despite the issues I’ve mentioned above. They did spoil many medieval stuff, but if we can see beyond that… the action and visual effects are decent, and the soundtrack is amazing. Jude Law is awesome too, but I have mixed feelings about the rest of the cast.

The plot is a bit weak though. It’s fine at first but becomes stale after Arthur’s rescue. The movie is also too long (over two hours) for a sub-par script. There are boring moments which could be cut off without affecting the whole story. But overall it’s still an entertaining film in my opinion.

On lighter note, it’s a pleasant surprise to see David Beckham in a cameo role. The timing (and his acting) is awkward though, it took away the focus from the scene – when Arthur pulls the sword from the rock – which should have been epic but appears comical instead.

I’m also disappointed with the lack of notable female characters besides the mage. Most women are servants and prostitutes in the movie. Don’t tell me that’s factual in those days, the producers threw away the historical aspects at the first place. This issue doesn’t hurt the film though.

Regardless, they have cancelled future sequels – originally planned to be a six-film franchise – because of poor box office result. Perhaps the legend is not that big a selling point to begin with. Or perhaps the Arthurian fans (and general publuc) are not that fond of the medieval-modern fusion.

Sad thing is we won’t be seeing a big budget movie for Merlin and some others. It’s a pity because there are better stories beside King Arthur despite him being the centre of the legends. But I’m also glad at the same time because I don’t want this group of filmmakers to touch the legends any further.