I ADORE the soundtrack to this movie. Totally evocative, interesting, and epic. Perfect music for long- distance drive daydreaming, and I’ve been listening to it on long drives for about three years straight now
It's such a great soundtrack! I was not surprised but nevertheless disappointed that it wasn't nominated for an oscar the year it came out. It was genuinely the best soundtrack I'd heard that year, and not only is it just awesome, it's so unique and different.
@@samuraichameleon “Run Londinium” is so cool. I’ve had a Witcher fanfic daydream running in my head for awhile, and to me that song is perfect for the Trial of the Grasses. I also love “Politics and the Life,” and even looked up the Welsh lyrics so I could sing along. Before I knew what the lyrics meant, it was obvious they were a martial hopeless battle cry. I wish the movie had done better commercially just so more people would have heard the soundtrack
@@kathleenquinlan6559 Those are both excellent tracks. I also really like the main theme, Jackseye's Tale, Assassins Breathe, Knights of the Round Table, and of course Devil and the Huntsman. Fun fact about Politics and the Life. It was actually first used some 10 years earlier for a Halo commercial, but the King Arthur soundtrack was the first time it had an official release. It's indeed unfortunate the movie didn't reach a wider audience, BUT the video for Devil and the Hunstman on Warner Bros' official channel had over 20 million views last I had seen and is one of the channel's most popular videos. Silver lining.
Finally! Someone else enjoyed this movie! I'm still mad to this day that critics bad-mouthed it so much that people didn't go to see it. This was meant to be a franchise following all of the people from the Arthurian story and then band them all together for a finale - I'd have loved to see that
I’ve watched this movie so many times! Absolutely love it! Agree with Sanderson on a lot of the negative points, but I still love it. Especially the music.
The first time I watched it, I thought it was weird but interesting. I watched it again and it really grew on me. I couldn't put my finger on why it felt off in some areas but I still liked it. Your analysis explained a lot.
When I first watched this movie I was amazed that I’d never seen anyone talking about it online. Since then I’ve only been able to find videos declaring that it is absolute garbage with comment sections full of people saying they loved it. I definitely loved it and everyone I’ve show it to had loved it. Also, because it reminded me of Mistborn, I’ve wondered whether or not Brandon has seen it. Well now I know. Guy Ritchie for the Mistborn movie!!!
Yeah, I pretty much agree with this... One casting problem for me was having the guy who played Petyr Baelish being one of Arthur's advisors, because I was totally conditioned to expect him to betray them at any time. But the best thing about this movie, for me, was the soundtrack. It was kinetic and energetic, and may be the only time I came home from a movie and immediately bought the soundtrack album.
I feel I agree with almost all of this Brandon, you bring up some great points. However, the scene just before where he "picks up the sword" from the Lady in the Lake, he's thinking about all of the destruction and death it's brought to the people he's loved and has grown to love (this is why Back Lack's death is needed), and he gazes at the sword and to me, Guy Ritchie wanted to portray his thoughts that "if I didn't have this sword, no one in my life would have died." He had a selfish moment where his Mob Boss persona was in charge, since that's all he'd known all his life, then he goes to run and scream in the woods and throw the sword because he believes he'll be better off without it. This is when the Lady in the Lake shows him what would happen to the world if he doesn't pick it up, making Arthur the Archetypal reluctant hero that must defeat the evil because it's tied to his bloodline.
Oh man, this honestly is one of my favorite films of all time. And I get your critiques, and they do make a lot of sense. But man, I feel like so much of this film is dream-like sequences and isn't supposed to make sense. It always felt like a book, much more than a film to me, in the sense of much is created in the imagination. A lot is thrust at you with the visuals and music, and a lot of that is to create a stimulating psychological effect. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I LOVE this movie! It caught so much flak for being so different, but that's what I loved about it. The story, the visuals, the SOUNDTRACK! This movie has one of the best soundtracks ever recorded! The only aspect of the film I didn't like was Guenivere (The Mage). I was also bummed out we didn't get to really see much of the Darklands. That is an aspect of the original Arthurian mythology that we've never seen before. It's in the old myths but buried deep and barely mentioned. I'm glad they dug into it a bit.
The first time I watched I was sure I would hate it. But I love it. I love the cinematography, the humor, the new direction that they took with the legend. It's one of my favourites out there.
So glad you liked it too. IDK if it would be fair use or if the lic. could be obtained, but I'd love to see you do a full commentary watch - real time pointing out the good bad and ugly (as they say) not promoting or ragging on the film - but as an object lesson illustrating all the things you talk about in your lectures. I loved this film, despite the squid monster and was deeply disappointed the series they were clearly setting up didn't continue. But, it felt odd and I never put my finger on why, except the truncated storyline with the mage - that was obvious. Id love to see questions answered like: * if structure was assumed to be the main problem - what did they do that got in the way? How could they have structured this same story and it work as a stand alone with an act 3 tease into the next film? * if character "web" and development of individual characters was a problem - what was left out or not balanced well? * within the chosen style - what could be adjusted to add to emotion, plot, theme, or character to make the overall film impactful instead of just cool?
I think what propelled this movie for me from decent to great was The Lady In The Lake scene. It could of just been a little rage scene but damn they killed it. It showed me so much about the character and how much inner turmoil he was going through
One of my favorite movies of the last decade..... Visuals were amazing. The initial battle with the mamoths in the begining and then the king riding his horse off the bridge onto the pyramid with the axe??? amazing!!!
It's close to being great, but unfortunately suffers from Guy Richie's overblown and fast-paced direction style. Excalibur is a far better example of capturing the correct tone, pacing and style of the Arthurian legends.
My opinion usually lines up pretty neatly with the critics', but I always thought this one got unfairly panned by them. It was plenty flawed, but a pretty enjoyable movie overall. Thanks, Mr. Sanderson, for the validation!
I have always loved the score of this movie. Also I hope to see Charlie Hunnam in more fantasy adaptations in the future, I really enjoyed his presence on the screen.
“That’s a 6/10 that thinks it’s a 10/10” That’s what art should be. This is why campy movies are good, this is why you return to things after not watching them so long, even when they’re not the best, this is why I love creators no matter how good they actually are.
i quit that movie on 40+ minute. I think old epic tale such as King Arthur should be told in classic way in terms of directing, cinematography and editing closer to Lord of the Rings style than to Guy Richy style he developed on music clips and modern gangster films AND im saying this as Guy Richy fan who has his films in collection on constant rewatch. But i might give it second try someday partialy because of you Brandon, thank you.
Yes, this! One of my favorite movies that was critically panned, for the most part. I agree with your score and I sympathize with your inability to explain it, haha. It’s like an 8.0-8.5 by some sort of fun-factor or cool-factor, and there are some really interesting takes, shots, etc, but overall, it just doesn’t land or come together as a well-made film. The worst movie that I’d be happy to watch again? I almost wish someone would give it another go with a similar approach, but with additional passes at the script. Hell, maybe Mistborn will scratch that itch, eh…?
One of my favorite movies from the past few years, it's so much fun! I can't believe it got such mixed reviews. I had wondered if Brandon had seen it and if so, what he thought of it, and now I know. This video is all the more awesome for just how random and unexpected it was!
What a relief, I felt like I was the crazy one who liked this version of King Arthur. I know most people preferred King Arthur from 2004 and I also thought it was decent, but this one felt different in a way that resonated with me wholeheartedly. Also, the final act and ending was so satisfying.
Brandon, you did a wonderful job analyzing this movie and explaining in an accurate way of what you thought and why. I saw this movie last year and did enjoy it, and yes, it was all over the place absolutely, but entertained me the entire time. 😁
I'm so glad you got around to reviewing this! This film definitely felt like watching a distant relative of Mistborn. Fingers crossed for a Cosmere x Guy Richie collab some day!
I totally agree with all your pros and cons and that's why I give it a 3 out of 10. For me, it was a beautiful mess, but way more mess than beautifulness.
honestly same. i really didnt expect to like it, but the visuals were just so compelling. very confusing in some parts, and really was distracting in other parts of the plot, but it makes it so unique of a movie
I literally forgot I pretty much watched the entirety of this movie. As a fan of Guy Ritchie, that’s an especially bad sign. Like before those clips I wouldn’t have remembered thing one about the movie. Completely forgot that end fight, completely forgot that Avalon trial montage etc. It’s wild to have this be so forgettable when Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movies are among my Top 3 Sherlock adaptations. I can quote those movies nearly by heart & go back often to watch great clips I always remember
This is exactly how I felt about it. There was a lot to love, it could have been a great series with that list of pros even, but ultimately gets lost in its own sauce.
Oh my god I’m so glad to see this! This is one of my favorite movies and probably one of my most rewatched honestly. I never understood the hate around this movie. It’s a great just put it on in the background movie as well! Haha
It's my go to when I'm with friends and we don't know what to watch - I'm like "hey, well let's watch the movie everyone is surprised to hear is my favourite!"
I remember looking forward to watching this movie when the trailer came out. When the massive negative critics to the movie started coming out, I was so surprised cause I thought it looked cool from the trailers. I let the public’s opinions and critics get to me, so I passed watching it in the cinema. I later saw it on television, and I was absolutely blown away. I’ve watched it again and again. I’ve learnt now that to bandwagon on people and critics opinions, and now I make my own informed opinions and judgement.
I enjoyed it, for what it was, but I had the same cons, with one more: bland characters. The charisma of the two main actors, along with your pros, carried a poor script and mostly uninteresting characterization. The end, when they showed us who would be sitting at the round table....I couldn't be more unimpressed given how those characters were portrayed and written.
Funny how you don't even mention my favorite scene in the movie, and the reason why it always stuck with me. Arthur doesn't want to use the sword, really doesn't want to use the sword, and suddenly the whole plan goes wrong and he finds himself surrounded, his friends dying. He uses the sword... and in five seconds all the bad guys are dead, and everybody is standing there with utter horror in their eyes, not really grasping what the heck just happened. It's just a few seconds of movie, but it's glorious!
5:30 im not surprised at all that Brandon felt like this movie took the uber long way to nowhere because his stories are almost always extremely precise with regard to all arcs within the story. You know exactly where each character is trying to get too and why. While you obviously dont know where the story will end up, you have a very clear picture of where you as the reader want it to go. King Arthur almost feels like a choose your own adventure sometimes......Still love it though!!!
I liked this video because I agree with just about everything you said, but for me those cons completely overwhelmed any pros for me, and I couldn’t give it any more than a 3 or 4. Also, the world and magic system was just so freaking bizarre I couldn’t get over it. Why is there an alternate dimension filled with giant animals, and why is the mages’ primarily ability to summon these giant monsters? And then the way the story was told and the way things were shown just left me utterly confused at the end. Personally, the actors were the best part for me. I forget Arthur’s name, but he was so fun to watch, Jude Law always makes such terrifying villains, and of course Djimon Hounsou is incredible in anything. And yeah, impressive visuals. As baffled as I was by the opening scene, which had me wondering if I was watching the right movie, it was visually spectacular. Oh, and the score was awesome! Eclectic, like everything else about the film, with a blend of almost experimental modern influences and epic fantasy vibes, but so fun to listen to. Most of it, at least.
In an interview with BUILD Guy Ritchie talked about how the original cut of the film was over three hours long. He felt it was boring, but didn’t want to cut out too many scenes out because they cost a lot of money and he liked them, so he used the scenes in montages instead. That’s why the movie feels like 75% montage and the pacing is like sonic on crack at times. But I agree, I think this movie is more good than bad. I wish they would release the original three hour cut just to see the difference.
I think you will really enjoy Filmento's RU-vid channel on analysis of movies. About this particular one he says that Guy Ritchie sacrificed tension to reduce the time since, if I remember correctly, it was a matchup of different scripts on King Arthur.
Watched it for the third time today. I’ve rewatched it every few years and damn it gets better with every watch. I agree with most of Brandon’s criticisms but I do think Arthur’s arc comes together. The constant doubt was relatable to me
Half an hour of screentime was cut out of this movie because of a bad performance one person gave. That is probably why it feels disjointed. I love it even with it's flaws and would love to get a sequel tho!
I have watched this movie maybe 20 times. I take a long flight and the only movie that I'm like, "Yeah, I'd watch that again" is this one. I don't understand the hate.
This movie genuinely changed my life. I still can't quite articulate why, but the closest I can get is that seeing such a different retelling of a story I was so familiar with helped me see that there were different ways of looking at every story, fictional and historical. I grew up in a very narrow minded environment and for whatever reason this film blew my world wide open!
I love when a movie does that! I learned not to share them because then people are like, "it was kinda boring." It's cool people don't get it. It's a really rare and amazing experience when a movie comes along to make you feel that way The last time for me was The Martian. ❤
I've forced several people to watch this because I really loved it! I mean, I'd love Charlie and Jude regardless, but I thought it was honestly a good take on an old tale
My favourite thing about this movie is the score. I absolutely love it, and sometimes only watch the movie to have some epic fantasy scenes running behind the score.
When we went to see this movie, it was one of the only movies we’ve walked out of and genuinely would have gone back in and watched it again right away. So happy to hear that other people like this after it got such bad reviews
Maybe I will watch it now. I've loved Arthur for a long time, but didn't watch this for fear of getting my heart broken. (though I started in Avalon high, so its not like I have that high of standards).
Best fantasy movie i have seen in a long time and surprised it didnt get better reviews. In my opinion it has way more magic and action than the lord of the rings movies. I wish it got the credit it deserved, maybe there would have been sequels.
I did enjoy this movie too. As a matter of fact, I watched it twice. After only hearing bad things about it, I was like, let's watch it so I can just put in my "watched list". After the first time, I was surprised I actually liked it... I thought about it for a couple of days, and I decided to watch it again to make sure I paid attention the first time and that I actually enjoyed it. It's a solid 7/10 for me.
Brandon! Was the beginning of Bands of Mourning based on the beginning of Indiana Jones 3??? If it’s not. It’s great. If it is.it’s an awesome call back.
By no means a great movie and it made some misteps but maybe my favorite author? Would have loved to have seen another one. The Lancelot of this universe would have been fun to see.
They should do a film trilogy using Merlin as the main protagonist (primarily the actor used as ‘the magician’ from The Green Knight). King Arthur is dead but the story will be about Merlin waiting for his return and what happens to Camelot during his absence..hence, “once and future king”. Maybe another war, fall of Camelot, fall of magic..something.
This movie is great, so sad we probably won't ever get a sequel. Also, apparently a lot of the issues come from an problem with "bad casting" that led to one of the major plots getting completely gutted. Heard Charlie Hunnam say that on a talk show
