King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Release date: 2017-05-12
Country: UK|USA
Language: English
Director: Guy Ritchie
Production Co: Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Weed Road Pictures
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Rating: 6.7/10
Length: 2h 6min

Storyline

An alternative version of the King Arthur legend. As a boy, Arthur is left orphaned after his father, King Uther Pendragon, and mother are killed in a war waged against them by Vortigern, who then assumes the throne. Arthur flees and is raised in a brothel, knowing very little of his birthright. Vortigern wants Arthur dead, to ensure there is no claimant to the throne. The legends foretell that only the next king will be able to draw Excalibur, Uther's sword, from the rock where it is lodged. So, in an effort to identify Arthur, Vortigern forces all the young men of Arthur's age to attempt to draw out the sword. Now it is Arthur's turn.

Plot Keywords

folklore, king arthur, historical fiction, based on book, sword and sorcery, fictional war, character name in title, tyrant, bare chested male, origin of hero, revisionist history, prophecy, medieval times, good versus evil, kingdom, king, evil sorcerer, sorcerer, giant animal, resistance

Short Review

Ritchie has reached into the medieval quiver of tales for material, but has not imposed the meta-narrative of Western history onto those stories. For this restraint medievalists should be thankful, and the critics should be a little more forgiving.