The legend of King Arthur has been used as the basis for many films throughout cinematic history. But aside from Disney’s “The Sword in the Stone” and the uproarious “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” few films have ever lasted long in the public consciousness. And critics think Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow’s “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” won’t be a tale that endures through time either.
Early reviews for Guy Ritchie’s latest film have been widely negative, panning the film for relying on a generic origin story formula to try to keep audience interest and for using a manic editing style that has the opposite effect of what it aims to do.
“Ritchie and his regular editor James Herbert cut up the action scenes with the desperation of the life of the party who’s secretly afraid to go home to his empty apartment,” writes TheWrap’s own Alonso Duralde. “‘King Arthur’ seems constantly panicked that the audience’s attention span won’t last another second, so each moment is a frenzy of sight and sound (particularly Daniel Pemberton’s emphatically percussive score), and the ultimate effect is more exhausting than exhilarating,” he added.
“King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” overhauls the origin tale of the famed British monarch, recasting Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) as a young man robbed of his birthright when his father is murdered and his evil uncle Vortigern (Jude Law) takes the throne. Arthur spends much of his life as a street peasant until the fateful day when he discovers the sword Excalibur and comes face to face with his true identity. The film is written by Ritchie with Joby Harold and Lionel Wigram and also stars Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou and Eric Bana. Akiva Goldsman, Toby Tunnell and Steve Clark-Hall produced along with the writers.
First reviews have its current Rotten Tomatoes score at a paltry 8 percent — a bad sign as the tally will continue to shift when more reviews get counted. Read more scathing reviews — and a positive one — below:
“After revealing quiet depths in ‘The Lost City Of Z,’ Hunnam comes across as wooden here, focusing on Arthur’s manly, smart-ass posturing at the expense of much nuance or charisma. In this regard, he’s well-matched with the equally one-dimensional Law, who played Watson in Ritchie’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ films and in ‘Legend Of The Sword’ hams it up as the haughty, fiendish Vortigern, letting his eyeliner do most of the emoting.”
“There are moments where Ritchie plays with chronology and narrative structure in ways that enliven otherwise routine developments, but you’ll yearn for the moments of fantastical madness promised in the prologue and the few we get after will make you wish that this didn’t have to waste time with the origin story prequel tropes. Without going into spoilers, this is indeed the sort of origin story[…]where we spend the entire film waiting for our heroes to get into the familiar places, with an implicit promise that a sequel will give you what you wanted this time.”
“If you have problems with ‘Refusal of the Call’ heroes, this movie is going to be rough for you. Hunnam’s Arthur has no interest in the sword and yanks it only at the end of another. It takes him almost the entire movie to wield it because it gets into his brain and makes him relive his parents’ deaths whenever he tries. (You will see Arthur’s mom get killed more than in all the Batman movies combined.) Even when the film is near its final act, he’s throwing the thing away.”
“Ritchie’s ‘King Arthur’ values style and cool over everything else, and the results, which are handsome but trite, reflect that. At least the ‘Sherlock’s had extremely charismatic lead performances from Robert Downey Jr.; despite his rugged features, a sweet shearling vest, and a physique that would make a crossfit model jealous, Charlie Hunnam isn’t in Downey’s league, and his legion of ten or so sidekicks have maybe three personality traits between them.”
“…the real star of the film here is Hunnam, who after several years of false starts, seems to finally be taking his place as a really-for-real leading man. Ritchie’s Arthur is a powerful fighter and has the courage of his convictions, but he’s also wounded and doubtful, uneasy with the prospect of leading a rebellion much less the whole of England. And it takes an actor with a certain set of skills, a kind of roguish charm armed with extreme physicality and a beset by a tortured sense of self. It’s not as easy as it looks (his abs can’t do all the acting) and Hunnam charts the arc of the character with humor and realism. Somehow, after countless actors have pulled sword from stone, Hunnam makes the role his own.”
13 Riskiest, Priciest Bets of Summer 2017 Movies, From 'King Arthur' to 'The Dark Tower' (Photos)
Summertime might seem like a pure cash grab for studios stagnant with awards hangovers -- but trust us, there are plenty of Hail Mary passes getting tossed all along the hotter months. Here's the TheWrap's tally of biggest gambles coming, from "King Arthur" to "Cars 3."
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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword May 12
In a kingdom of Hollywood action stars, Charlie Hunnam is certainly among the fairest -- but he's largely untested in the marketplace, especially packing IP as dusty as King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Combine that with the much-delayed release date and director Guy Ritchie -- whose last Warner outing, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," was a visual feast and a lot of fun but failed to resonate worldwide -- and this is certainly risky business. Hopefully the studio can pull a sword out of stone on this one.
Warner Bros.
Snatched May 12
It's been 14 years since Goldie Hawn graced the big screen, and she returns in an action comedy playing Amy Schumer's mom. The onscreen pair are irresistible in interviews and early promotional appearances, but this film does not have the Judd Apatow halo afforded Schumer on her debut "Trainwreck." The good news? Schumer is a huge star now, and while she did not write the screenplay here she seems to have infused the project with her brand of rivaling self-deprecation and empowerment. The bad news? Director Jonathan Levine has not been around since his underperforming YA project "Warm Bodies" in 2013. Time will tell if this comedy snatches an audience.
20th Century Fox
Everything, Everything May 19
If "Everything, Everything" were on a roulette table, we'd be happy to put our chips down -- despite the fact that this is the first major outing for Stella Meghie (director of the SXSW gem "Jean of the Joneses") and a big test for internet-beloved actress/activist Amandla Stenberg. This interracial youth romance has grassroots potential with a Warner Bros. marketing budget.
Warner Bros.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales May 26
How do we solve a problem like Johnny Depp? It's no secret that he's had a terrible fun of box office luck. But that Captain Jack Sparrow costume has always been kind to Depp -- and a veritable cash machine for Disney. But it's been six years, and a hell of a lot of personal drama, since Depp played the swashbuckler. Javier Bardem lends some star power as an undead villain, but there's no telling if "Dead Man" has a pulse.
Disney
Wonder Woman June 2
Warner Bros.' DC Comics universe has produced solid hits like "Suicide Squad" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," but they haven't performed as well financially -- or critically -- as Disney's Marvel universe. Can "Wonder Woman" right the ship?
Warner Bros.
The Mummy June 9
Tom Cruise has an impeccable action-movie track record, but rebooting Universal's storied monster movie universe is a hell of a mission for a horror newbie. Sofia Boutella's menacing supernatural villain looked fantastic in early footage, though, and it features an action sequence with a zero-gravity escape from a crashing plane.
Universal
All Eyez on Me June 16
Legendary rapper Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas 21 years ago. Given the strength of Universal's "Straight Outta Compton," it's encouraging to see another '90s hip-hop icon's life story on screen. Now we'll see if audiences get hype to the tune of "Compton"'s $200 million worldwide take.
Lionsgate/Summit
Cars 3 June 16
Yeah, yeah, Pixar has a bulletproof library of beloved animated films — but there’s something to be said for being the bridesmaid on a shelf of brides. The “Cars” franchise is that bridesmaid, and it's another summer sequel that has taken six years to sputter back to the big screen. Despite star voices from Owen Wilson and Armie Hammer, who really needs to buckle up for another adventure here?
Disney
Spider-Man: Homecoming July 7
After Andrew Garfield hung up his red costume two movies into a planned trilogy, Sony teamed with Marvel to reboot Spider-Man once again. The new Spidey, Tom Holland, was a standout in his introduction in last year's "Captain America: Civil War," but audiences may tire of seeing a third Peter Parker back in high school. And director Jon Watts is untested with big-budget movies -- his last outing, "Cop Car," earned just $135,000.
Sony Pictures
Dunkirk July 21
A big strand of the Christopher Nolan brand DNA is that the director is a massive earner — but divorced from the Batman franchise, the highly-sensitive and meticulous filmmaker might not deliver the same results. Especially with “Dunkirk,” a gravely serious retelling of WWII’s Battle of Dunkirk. Brief, starry glimmers of Tom Hardy and the screen debut of pop crooner Harry Styles aside, this Warner Bros. release is surely a box office battle test -- especially slotted in summertime.
Warner Bros.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets July 12
If anyone knows outer space as high art, it’s director Luc Besson — who is also a Queenmaker in the realm of female action stars (Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, to name a few). “Valerian,” however, has an astounding reported budget of $208 million and no bankable stars (sorry, Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne).
STX
The Dark Tower August 4
Stephen King’s multi-book saga is one of the hottest properties surrounded by a powerful fandom — and the movie has languished in development for decades. After a few date shuffles and a promising show of footage at CinemaCon this year, Sony and MRC will finally birth the Idris Elba-Matthew McConaughey epic. But it has to work, and big, if planned film sequels and TV spinoffs are to follow.
Sony Pictures
The Emoji Movie
August 4
The tiny icons have made texting a lot more informal -- and universally understood across languages -- but is there really enough for a feature film? Sony will soon find out. Bonus points for serious placement partners in apps like Spotify, and getting Patrick Stewart to voice the very popular poo emoji.
Sony Pictures Animation
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Big bets, big budgets and potentially big payoffs in store as these movies hit the hottest months of the year
Summertime might seem like a pure cash grab for studios stagnant with awards hangovers -- but trust us, there are plenty of Hail Mary passes getting tossed all along the hotter months. Here's the TheWrap's tally of biggest gambles coming, from "King Arthur" to "Cars 3."