There are many characters that exist within the public domain, meaning that any filmmaker or studio can create a new adaptation without having to officially acquire the rights. King Arthur and the stories of Camelot have been adapted to the screen countless times, with all-time classics like the musicalCamelot, the timeless satireMonty Python and the Holy Grail, and the ’80s fantasy epicExcaliburbeing just a few examples.
Guy Ritchieattempted to take his own spin on the story by creating a revisionist myth in whichCharlie Hunnam’s version of Arthur was born in poverty and grew to become a leader. While it failed to initiate a planned cinematic franchise,King Arthur: Legend of the Swordis afar more entertaining filmthan its box office underperformance would suggest.
What Is ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ About?
King Arthur: Legend of the Swordexplores the political coup that ledto Camelot being taken over by tyranny, as Arthur’s father, Uther (Eric Bana), is betrayed and killed by his evil brother, Vortigern (Jude Law). Although Vortigern sacrifices his family to attain the power needed to become the Demon Knight, he still seeks the power of Uther’s sword, which is impaled within a stone, and can only be removed by the true leader of Camelot.
Arthur is taken in by brothel workers and raised in poverty on the streets of Camelot, where he begins to make a name for himself as a robber and gang leader. Although he is nearly executed by Vortigern after learning of his heritage, Arthur is rescued by a group of freedom fighters who swore loyalty to Uther, including a magical acolyte (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey), who claims to be working with Merlin. Arthur has become regarded as a leader of the people by standing up to the totalitarian regime, but he must fight to win back the castle from Vortigern and fulfill his father’s legacy.
Ritchie’s style works surprisingly well for a medieval epic, as the typical flashbacks, kinetic action scenes, and voice-over narrations that he has used in films likeSnatchandLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelswork surprisingly well when used to get through a lot of dense mythology regarding Arthurian history. While Arthur has traditionally beendepicted as a flawless hero, who can at times be challenging to relate to, Hunnam can draw out his personality, showing that he is a character who is reluctant to learn about his traumatic past. Although the film is grounded in some aspects of legitimate history when it comes to class dynamics, Ritchie embraces the weirdness of Arthurian mythology within the third act, which includes some of the wildest fantasy creatures and action from recent memory.
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“Who took the jam outta your doughnut?”
‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ Was Supposed To Start a Cinematic Universe
King Arthur: Legend of the Swordwasintended to be the start of a franchisethat would include films based on every member of the Round Table; although the film ends with Arthur establishing an order of knights that includes Bedivere (Djimon Hounsou), Percival (Craig McGinlay), George (Tom Wu), and Tristan (Kingsley Ben-Adir), more iconic Arthurian characters like Lancelot, Gallahad, and Gawain could have theoretically popped up in the sequels. The film also hinted at the existence of Merlin, with some rumors circulating thatIdris Elbawas in line to play the iconic wizard. Unfortunately, these plans failed to materialize whenKing Arthur: Legend of the Swordbecame a box office bomb, grossing less than $150 million on a budget of $170 million.
Theplans for an epic shared universedidn’t materialize, butKing Arthur: Legend of the Swordis a highly entertaining, idiosyncratic fantasy adventurein which it doesn’t appear that Ritchie conformed to studio notes. In fact, the filmcontains so many strange ideas and odd jokes that it couldn’t have possibly come from anyone else. It’s an outstandingly well-directed film with some vivid setpieces, and includes a terrific score byDaniel Pembertonthat is just as memorable as his award-nominated work onSpider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseandThe Trial of the Chicago 7. Given how many King Arthur films there have been over the course of film history, Ritchie deserves credit for making a new interpretation that feels completely unique.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
