Plot: What’s it about?
Arthur (Clive Owen) leads the Samatian Knights, an elite group of warriors who were hand picked by the Romans to join their ranks. He and his men have battled countless Saxon hordes, as they’ve fought to keep the outpost at Britannia under Roman control. As Rome’s empire begin to crumble, decisions are made to withdraw forces from some areas, which were deemed not to be priority holdings. Britannia was one such location, so Arthur and his men presumed they’d be freed from Rome’s control. But one more assignment awaits the knights, one which again asks them to fend off the Saxons. Now that the forces are taken from Britannia, the Saxons will soon claim the land for themselves. The hordes burn and demolish all in their path, so once Arthur and his men leave the outpost, Britannia is certain to be ruined by the Saxon forces. Arthur and his men have been ordered to serve as protection to a Roman family, as they travel to a safer location. If the men refuse, the Roman armies will hunt them down one by one. Another threat looms for Arthur and his soldiers, as the area is Woad controlled, another group of potential enemies. But with a common opponent in the Saxons, Arthur’s crew and the Woad forces forge an alliance of sorts. When he rescues a young woman Guinevere (Keira Knightley), Arthur finds himself quite taken with her, so a romance sparks. But at the same time, the risk of death is constant, so can Arthur and his men defeat the Saxons and restore peace to the area?
After the success of films like Braveheart, Gladiator, and The Lord of the Rings series, studios have gone on a spree of epic cinema. Not all the films are as epic as the ones I mentioned, but the period piece approach and grand scale are there, no doubt. King Arthur is just such a film, one that aims to be a smaller epic, but one cut from the same brand of cloth. Of course, with Jerry Bruckheimer as the producer, you have to expect that popcorn thrills will take precedent over storyline depth. So casting choices such as starlet du jour Keira Knightley (The Hole, Pirates of the Caribbean) isn’t a surprise, though the other leads so spark a slight shock. Clive Owen (Croupier, Beyond Borders) and Ioan Gruffudd (Tv’s Horatio Hornblower) aren’t high profile stars, so Bruckheimer’s trend of tried & true stars is broken here. This version takes some liberties with the common Arthur lore too, but as we’re not dealing with historical record, no foul there. The film has a darker tone than expected, with more grit and realism than anticipated. So this isn’t the brainless blockbuster I expected, more like a dark, dank take on the Arthur lore, not a bad one, either. The minimal use of computer generated images is refreshing, making the battles more harsh and effective. Knightley is sexy as hell and tough as nails, in a role sure to win over droves of new fans, while her male costars turn in natural, solid performances. King Arthur is not a great movie, but it is a good one, with room for improvements. This Director’s Cut is a step in the right direction, so King Arthur is recommended, but only as this extended unrated version.
Video: How does it look?
King Arthur is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a superb looking visual treatment, with no major flaws to discuss in the least. The print looks clean, as is expected from such a new release, while the sharpness is excellent, this is one great looking presentation. The bright & vivid color scheme is preserved here, with rich red hues, cool blues, and the all other shades, all of which look terrific in this transfer. The black levels are just as impressive, with flawless contrast and no visible detail loss, superb work all around. A few minor issues do surface, but not enough to distract. I do think less compression would have enhanced this treatment, but even as it stands, the movie looks great.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 option is a real gem, lots of surround use and a myriad of directional usage, very impressive indeed. I was very pleased with this track, as it places you right in the midst of it all, a very immersive experience from start to finish. Whether the effects are loud and booming or more subtle, this track handles them well and ensures they’re placed just right within the mix. One of the better mixes I’ve heard of late, this one doesn’t disappoint in terms of musical score or dialogue either, as both elements are well mixed and presented with no flaws in the least. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary track is up first, as director Antoine Fuqua shares his thoughts on the movie and memories from the production. This is a passable, but not insightful session, in which Fuqua covers the basics, but never goes in depth on how the film was created. You can also enable a subtitle trivia track, in which various tidbits of production data pop up at times, a very cool feature, I think. This disc also includes a brief video commentary session with cast & crew members, some still photos, an alternate end sequence, and a seventeen minute behind the scenes featurette.
