Review: King Arthur, Legend of the Sword

BY CASSIDY NOWASAD

“King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” tells the story of a young boy named Arthur who, through the holy blade Excalibur, unravels the dark secrets of his past.

The interpretation of this movie was very well done compared to the drawn out other tellings of King Arthur. The writing, however, was a bit all over the place and hard to follow. There were scenes that seemed too rushed. On top of pacing issues, the movie was full of random plot holes and underdeveloped characters that contributed little to the plot or the main character’s development. This movie feels very rushed, despite the other King Arthur movies being longer, and easier to follow so the time constraint was most likely intended to benefit the audience.  

As for the overall the acting, it was solid; I especially loved Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, who played the mage. Charlie Hunnam (Arthur) and the antagonist (who I can’t name as it would spoil a key plot point) showed emotion considerably well, helping to better engage the audience with their conflict.

The effects and visuals were stunning  parts where the mage was controlling animals. I was amazed how realistic it looked considering they were mythological creatures. As well as the the ‘badlands’ segment of the film, which was stunningly rife with unique, creative creatures. The settings were very nice and well-chosen, especially with the boat and dock scenes and the area where Arthur grew up.

The antagonist of the film is extremely unlikable, yet they managed to humanize him well. He portrayed traits that would make you dislike his actions but he had reason behind them, despite them ultimately being exaggerated and outlandish. They happened to include references to the actual tale of King Arthur and Celtic mythology, particularly to the Knights of the Round Table.

Overall, I would give this movie an 8/10 for the confusing, yet intriguing and entertaining storyline. The characters are likeable while  the effects and settings are extremely well done. I would recommend this to anyone who is a teen or older, as I think they would enjoy this action-packed take on the story of King Arthur.

Photo courtesy of the King Arthur film