Channel: MovieNight

Category: Film & Animation

Tags: hollywoodcharlie hunnamexcalibur#jogwheeltrailerdvdimdb#jpmnreviewcinemacriticismweb seriesguy ritchieking arthur: legend of the swordaidan gillenbox officeknights of the round tablemovie nightfilm reviewswordsmedievalking arthurfilmmovie reviewàstrid bergès-frisbeyadventureshieldsblockblustervortigernjude lawjonathan paulahdblu-raydjimon hounsoucommentaryeric bana

Description: • King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017) - Fun whiz-bang adventure with time-tested characters, 8/10. WATCH full episodes of "Movie Night" -- bit.ly/JogJPMN READ my un-filmed reviews / scripts: bit.ly/JPMNNotFilmed FOLLOW me on Letterboxd to see what I'm watching / rating: bit.ly/JonLetterboxd ~~ Movie Night ~~ Your host, and film critic Jonathan Paula reviews everything from opening day releases, recent DVDs, upcoming trailers, and classics from years past. Each "Quick Review" is an excerpt from a full episode, which airs on the Jogwheel channel every week. ~~ Watch More Reviews ~~ Browse By Year ----- bit.ly/MNYear Browse By Rating --- bit.ly/MNRating Trailer Reviews ------- bit.ly/MNTrailers ~~ Other Channels ~~ Jogwheel (Main channel) --- bit.ly/Jogwheel Jon's World (2nd channel) -- bit.ly/JonWorld The Microwave Show --------- bit.ly/TMSArchive uStream Live Shows ---------- bit.ly/JogLive ~~ Social Media & Merch ~~ Twitter ---------------------------- bit.ly/JonTW Facebook ----------------------- bit.ly/JonFBFan Instagram ----------------------- bit.ly/JonInsta Patreon -------------------------- bit.ly/JonPatreon Letterboxd ---------------------- bit.ly/JonLetterboxd T-Shirts -------------------------- bit.ly/JogStore ~~ Credits ~~ Created by ------ Jonathan Paula Camera ---------- Panasonic HMC-150 Microphone ----- Sennheiser ME 66 Software --------- Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2015 Computer ------- bit.ly/JonPaulaPC • Jogwheel Productions © 2016 • ~~ Truncated Script ~~ Full text here: letterboxd.com/jonpaula/film/king-arthur-legend-of-the-sword Surprisingly entertaining. Apropos of nothing, I recently watched the 90s family film "A Kid In King Arthur's Court" - and I remember thinking to myself, 'Hollywood is long overdue for a good, modern take on the swords-and-shields genre'. But unbeknownst to me at the time, director Guy Ritchie was already well on his way to finishing this 126-minute adventure film. ... Charlie Hunnam portrays the title character in this PG-13 rated origin story, which has Arthur rising from orphaned obscurity in medieval England to pull sword from sword, and challenge the evil king for his true legacy. The talented "Sons Of Anarchy Star" bulked up to play the man who-would-be king, and does a wonderful job mixing incredulous emotions with cheeky confidence. A die-hard childhood fan of 1981's "Excalibur" - Hunnam's reverence and respect for this property is obvious - he goes all out in every scene. If everything else broke down, the movie would still be worth watching for his character alone. An early monologue to a doubtful enemy has him describing his improbable skill-set, while parallel flashbacks amusingly show the truth. He tackles, swings, punches, and jumps like a veteran action hero - apparently modeling his style off UFC fighter Conor McGregor. And thanks to some absolutely stellar sound design, every sword fight, fist-fight, and street fight are filled with heavy and violent hits. Ritchie's kinetic, motion-tracking traits lend themselves well to the faster sequences, even if these modern cinematic techniques feel almost anachronistic, if that makes sense. The editing is equally excellent; blending Guy's trademark super-fast, non-linear, smash-cut style to create a uniquely familiar atmosphere. Or, as he described it, "Lord Of The Rings" meets "Snatch". The results are occasionally funny, and always entertaining. Action movies are really only as good as the villain, and thanks to Jude Law's suitably detestable performance, "King Arthur" is in good shape. With his hairline receding, he seems to be gravitating towards older, bad-guy roles these days, but we're all a beneficiary of this career transition. His uncaring demeanor and menacing scowl are a perfect fit for the evil King Vortigern. Describing his vile behavior, Arthur tells him, "You make sense of the Devil." Elsewhere, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, and Eric Bana do fine work in smaller supporting roles - while love-interest / sidepiece Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey feels like a wasted after-thought. Hopefully she's given a larger role in the planned follow-ups. The one thing that really struck me is Daniel Pemberton's music- which can best be described as 'orchestral grunge' - keeping the mood intense, and the pace driving. It's definitely a score I'll be picking up on CD when it's released. For better or worse, this is a quintessential period-piece popcorn flick; all the familiar good-vs-evil action-movie tropes are here, but they're also executed in fresh ways. And despite one perfectly-dropped 'F-bomb', it's also a safe time for dates and families. If you adjust your expectations accordingly, "King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword" is a fun whiz-bang adventure with time-tested characters. I thought it was GREAT. ~