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King Arthur

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King Arthur (2004)

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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

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • King Arthur
  • The producer of PEARL HARBOR and the director of TRAINING DAY deliver an immensely thrilling adventure epic that tells the heroic true story behind one of history's greatest legends! It is the valiant tale of Arthur (Clive Owen) and his bond of brotherhood with Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd) and the loyalty of the Knights Of The Round Table as they fight for freedom and those they love. Also starring Keira Knightley, this spectacular motion picture fuses historical grandeur with edge-of-your-seat action and bestows must-see entertainment!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for King Arthur

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    101 - 120 (sorted by date)
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    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.

    Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Lawrence Toppman
    Lawrence Toppman
    Charlotte Observer

    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.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Roger Ebert
    Roger Ebert
    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Aspires to go beyond the published literature on the subject, but it's still by the book.

    Full Review Source: Contra Costa Times | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Mary F. Pols
    Mary F. Pols
    Contra Costa Times

    A fine pretender to the historical action crown Ridley Scott's Gladiator reforged.

    Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Lisa Kennedy
    Lisa Kennedy
    Denver Post

    For all this silly spin, King Arthur is a better movie than you might have expected.

    Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Terry Lawson
    Terry Lawson
    Detroit Free Press
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Most folks, when asked about the legend of King Arthur, don't immediately conjure up an image of Keira Knightley in a leather bikini.

    Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Tom Long
    Tom Long
    Detroit News

    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.

    Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    E! Online

    This middling King Arthur doesn't waste time developing character -- or coherence -- when a big, joyless, synthetic battle will do.

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Lisa Schwarzbaum
    Lisa Schwarzbaum
    Entertainment Weekly
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    May the gods protect us from modernists messing with our myths.

    Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Rick Groen
    Rick Groen
    Globe and Mail

    If it's spectacle you're after, it's spectacle you'll get.

    Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Liz Braun
    Liz Braun
    Jam! Movies

    An action flick for the video-arcade generation that cares little about character development or relationships.

    Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Louis B. Hobson
    Louis B. Hobson
    Jam! Movies

    Dreary going, occasionally impressive on a technical level but uninspired as narrative or historic inquiry.

    Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Robert W. Butler
    Robert W. Butler
    Kansas City Star

    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.

    Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Rene Rodriguez
    Rene Rodriguez
    Miami Herald

    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.

    Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Jami Bernard
    Jami Bernard
    New York Daily News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    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.

    Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Stephen Whitty
    Stephen Whitty
    Newark Star-Ledger
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    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.

    Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Roger Moore
    Roger Moore
    Orlando Sentinel

    The frequently silly Arthur [has] a certain watchability for those of us who enjoy seeing barbarians dispatched in interesting ways.

    Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Gary Thompson
    Gary Thompson
    Philadelphia Daily News

    This Arthur is long and somber, broken up by crowded, clanging battle scenes that lack the visceral thrills of, say, Braveheart.

    Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Steven Rea
    Steven Rea
    Philadelphia Inquirer

    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.

    Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Timothy Knight
    Timothy Knight
    Reel.com

    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.

    Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
    07/07/04
    Jack Garner
    Jack Garner
    Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
     
     
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