A grunting re-make of Tears of the Sun, the last movie from the same director, with villains wearing Conan the Barbarian-style furs instead of jungle fatigues.
King Arthur (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:180
Fresh:56
Rotten:124
Average Rating:4.9/10
Consensus: The magic is gone, leaving a dreary, generic action movie.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for intense battle sequences, a scene of sensuality and some language
Runtime: 2 hrs 19 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Jul 7, 2004 Wide
Box Office: $51,726,421
Synopsis: From producer Jerry Bruckheimer ('Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,' 'Black Hawk Down') and director Antoine Fuqua ('Training Day') comes Touchstone Pictures' / Jerry... From producer Jerry Bruckheimer ('Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,' 'Black Hawk Down') and director Antoine Fuqua ('Training Day') comes Touchstone Pictures' / Jerry Bruckheimer Films' 'King Arthur,' a spectacular, epic tale of one man's destiny to become a king. 'Let me sing with inspiration Of the man born of two nations, Of Rome and of Britain... ... Arthur the blessed Led his assault from the Great Wall...' by the 6th century Welsh poet, Taliesin For centuries most historians believed that King Arthur was only a legend, but that legend was based on a real hero whose actions changed the face of Britain and the world forever. Clive Owen, is 'Artorius' or Arthur, the hero of Roman and British parentage eulogized in the ancient Celtic poem. Like his loyal Knights, he sees only chaos and devastation will follow Rome's final pullout of Britain. Although, as a dedicated Christian he is desperate to return to Rome to influence the budding religion, his first loyalty is to his pagan Knights. Arthur sees his duty is to free them from their servitude to Rome so they may return to their ancestral homeland in Sarmatia. However, before he can, he must lead his Knights of the Round Table on one last mission, deep into enemy territory on a quest of adventure and profound enlightenment. Here, Arthur, Lancelot, Galahad, Bors, Tristan, Dagonet and Gawain are forced to confront their traditional enemy: Merlin and his indigenous guerilla armies. Disdainfully called 'Woads' by the Knights for the Woad plant they use to dye their bodies, Arthur and his Knights will see these guerillas are the soul of Britain, devastated by generations of Roman rule. Now, with Rome gone, and without the help of Arthur and his knights, the invading Saxons will roll over the people like an avalanche. Under the guidance of the shaman, Merlin and the beautiful, courageous Guinevere (Keira Knightley), Arthur will struggle to find the strength to fors ke his dreams of Rome to 'become a leader in this land,' and to change the face of history. Thrilling adventure, edge-of-your-seat action and historical grandeur come together in this unique look at the origins of one of the greatest legends ever told. [More]
Starring: Clive Owen, Stellan Skarsgard, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd
Starring: Clive Owen, Stellan Skarsgard, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd, Hugh Dancy, Stephen Dillane, Ray Winstone, Til Schweiger, Joel Edgerton, Mads Mikkelsen, Ray Stevenson, Sean Gilder, Ivano Marescotti, Ken Stott
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Screenwriter: David H. Franzoni
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Composer: Hans Zimmer
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
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Release:
Dec 21, 2004
Reviews for King Arthur
That the movie works is because of the considerable production qualities and the charisma of the actors, who bring more interest to the characters than they deserve.
Aspires to go beyond the published literature on the subject, but it's still by the book.
A fine pretender to the historical action crown Ridley Scott's Gladiator reforged.
For all this silly spin, King Arthur is a better movie than you might have expected.
Most folks, when asked about the legend of King Arthur, don't immediately conjure up an image of Keira Knightley in a leather bikini.
As dreary as the British Isles' weather, and the toned-down fight scenes (for that PG-13 rating) make it hardly better than a made-for-cable historical movie.
This middling King Arthur doesn't waste time developing character -- or coherence -- when a big, joyless, synthetic battle will do.
An action flick for the video-arcade generation that cares little about character development or relationships.
Dreary going, occasionally impressive on a technical level but uninspired as narrative or historic inquiry.
Forget all that accuracy business and just enjoy the movie for what it is: a large-scale, passably engrossing tale of valiant knights doing valiant deeds.
This version has action, yes, but the love triangle among Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot is diluted, and there's nothing exuberant about a dutiful slog through the muck.
King Arthur may be far closer to the facts than anything in Le Morte D'Arthur -- and far grittier than Hollywood's old Knights of the Round Table or The Sword in the Stone. But there's nothing true in it at all.
Such a bastardization of the tale that it works as neither history nor legend. And with the romance gone, only the blood and guts remain.
The frequently silly Arthur [has] a certain watchability for those of us who enjoy seeing barbarians dispatched in interesting ways.
This Arthur is long and somber, broken up by crowded, clanging battle scenes that lack the visceral thrills of, say, Braveheart.
A straightforward action film that's slightly more literate than the usual Jerry Bruckheimer production, but ultimately just as bereft of real emotion and bona-fide tension as the uber-producer's other films.
Though yet not quite a household name, Owen is a potent, kingly Arthur. Among supporting actors, Stellan Skarsgard and Ray Winstone are most memorable, as the evil leader of the Saxons and Arthur's most exuberant warrior, respectively.
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