KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD
Director: Guy Ritchie
Year of Release: 2017
This version of King Arthur takes the original story and adds a modern twist, plus some of director Guy Ritchie’s ‘laddish’ sense of humour, much of which feels a little dated in this new era of enlightenment. Simply put, King Vortigern, played by Jude Law, kills his brother Uther Pendragon (Eric Bana), in order to gain the English throne. Uther’s son. Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) escapes and the rest of the film focuses on his battle to avenge his father’s death and retake the throne with the help of a certain sword and a group of rebels.
A background story is established via a quick montage, heavy on humour and light on detail, it at least attempts to bring flesh out the character of Arthur, which, this being a Guy Ritchie file, consists of petty theft and fighting, all to protect the girls working in the brothel who raised him.
Sadly, the other characters are very poorly served with little to do other than to help Arthur fulfil his destiny and regain Camelot. Aidan plays ‘Goose fat’ bill, so named because of his ability to escape capture, the character is also a master bowman and, to be honest that is all you get to know. There is no backstory for the character and little for Aidan to do, other than look gorgeous, which he does, the wardrobe department have done a great job of dressing him, except for the hat.
There is also something very strange going on in the prelude, I think there is some attempt at using anti-aging technology, either that or they have just airbrushed Aidan’s face as it looks very strange.
One of the things that interested me about the film before I watched it was the prospect of a ‘Queer as Folk’ reunion between Stuart Alan Jones and Nate, however I was sorely disappointed. There is not a great deal of interaction between them, however they do have a sword fight and who doesn’t like a good sword fight. But this is proceeded by a line of dialogue that I can only assume is so attempt at an ‘in-joke’ but which, to be perfectly frank, I find more than a little tasteless, after all, this is a Guy Ritchie production!
The first time I watched this I did get extremely nervous during the, rather drawn out, escape from Camelot, as an assassination attempt on the king goes awry leading to a game of cat and mouse between Arthurs gang and the castle guards. Anyone familiar with Aidan’s work knows that he does have a habit of playing characters that don’t always make it to the end credits. No spoilers here though, I’ll let you find out for yourself if he survives the swords and arrows!
If you want to escape for a few hours into a medieval fantasy with a modern twist, and a ‘hint’ of Aidan then this is the movie for you, especially if you also have a taste for Charlie Hunnam’s abs.