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by Scott Juba Published: June 30, 2004
In every summer movie season, there is a select number of releases that live up to expectations, allowing moviegoers to escape reality and enter new, exciting worlds. “Spider-Man 2” and “Shrek 2” are perfect examples of such films.There are also movies, however, that fall far short of their potential, with plot holes so wide that audiences are unable to accept them as legitimate contributions to the summer movie season. Unfortunately, “King Arthur” is one of these disappointments. Despite its cast of competent actors and Antoine Fuqua’s proficient direction, “King Arthur’s” muddled script leaves the film mired in mediocrity. Although the overall plot structure is well planned, the actions that move the story from point A to point B are mainly unrealistic and contain one cliché after another. To say that there are more than a few belief straining moments is a major understatement. To “King Arthur’s” credit, it puts a new spin on a legendary story, but the characters are regrettably painted with broad strokes, lacking depth and substance. The audience is never given a true sense of who each person is; and therefore, the story evokes no emotion when tragedy befalls certain characters. The final battle scene relies too heavily on past material from this genre, giving the movie’s conclusion a stale, recycled quality that is void of a fresh vision. The events of the story, in general, are so predictable that it is easy to guess what is going to happen by just reading the plot outline. The film especially butchers the character of Arthur. Depicted as a beacon of moral light in dark, troubled times, he seems a bit too perfect. His speeches are overly idealistic to the point that viewers can’t help but cringe at how overdone they are. Surely screenwriter David Franzoni should realize that real people don’t constantly speak with such dramatic fervor. Perhaps he needs to re-read his script of “Gladiator” to remind himself of how to incorporate realism into an action film. Keira Knightley’s character, Guinevere, though never fleshed out as much she could be, at least displays a glimmer of innovation in an otherwise conventional script. It’s great to see a female lead that takes charge and is able to defend herself on her own terms. Knightley proves that she can clash in the action scenes just as well as any male actor can. Yet, even though Clive Owen and Keira Knightley are two talented rising stars in the film industry, in “King Arthur” they are never able to display the fullness of their talents. The material they are given to work with is far beneath their skill level, robbing moviegoers of the chance to see two young talents at the top of their game. Moreover, the potential love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancleot is never explored as much as it should be. The story settles for significant glances between Lancelot and Guinevere, but there is never any substantial turbulence between the men hoping to capture her heart. The lack of the love triangle deprives the story of added dimension. Sadly, for a film that tries so hard to be taken seriously, the audience loses faith in its ability to entertain long before it ever reaches its climax. By then moviegoers are already resigned to the fact that “King Arthur” is content to be ordinary rather than extraordinary. Done differently (especially considering the impressive cast and crew assembled) “King Arthur” could have been a glorious action epic. Instead, it is a forgettable ripple in the wave of summer action flicks. While Touchstone may have missed its mark with this release, it is almost certain that M. Night Shyamalan will redeem the studio later this month with his highly anticipated film, “The Village”. My recommendation is to save your eight dollars and wait for “The Village”. Until a suitable version of “King Arthur” comes along, allow the story to remain a piece of ancient history. Overall Grade: C- On the Web Official Site Cinema Spider |
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