^^Ah. I think he was rumored for Merlin at some point, but he's not in this movie.
Spoilers Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Pre-Release Thread
- Thread starter JD
- Start date
Darn, they recast him? That's too bad.
Well, they didn't recast him. Idris Elba simply didn't sign on.
For me it's Charlie Hunnam. The man is so boring and lethargic that I can't bother to muster any care for this film despite the rest of the cast.
As for Guy Ritchie, this is the over-the-top film making that I expect from him, although I wish he would go back to smaller films like Snatch, RocknRolla, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.
Cool trailer. I'm kind of surprised how little attention this has been getting, I would have thought the combination of Ritchie and King Arthur would have been a bit more noteworthy.
They really seem to be wanting to make Charlie Hunnam into a big star, but it just doesn't seem to be happening.
They really seem to be wanting to make Charlie Hunnam into a big star, but it just doesn't seem to be happening.
Saw the most recent trailer at a recent cinema trip and my only response was "What the fuck was that?" not realising that I was no longer listening to blaring sound and fury. Thank the gods no one can see you blush in the dark.
On more interesting matters of "What I really want to see"... Given the success, and general quality of, the BBC's translation of Bernard Cornwell's Last Kingdom series, I'd love to see his "Arthurian Saga" The Warlord Chronicles (Winter King / Enemy of God / Excalibur) given the plush TV treatment. Most of the fantastical elements of the myth removed, played as Dark Age Political Fantasy juxtapose with the beginnings of the end for Paganism, it is by far and away his best work, and, for me, the most complete and thrilling adaptation of the myth/history out there.
And Cornwell's Nimue is a character for the ages
Hugo - Go get it. Go on...
On more interesting matters of "What I really want to see"... Given the success, and general quality of, the BBC's translation of Bernard Cornwell's Last Kingdom series, I'd love to see his "Arthurian Saga" The Warlord Chronicles (Winter King / Enemy of God / Excalibur) given the plush TV treatment. Most of the fantastical elements of the myth removed, played as Dark Age Political Fantasy juxtapose with the beginnings of the end for Paganism, it is by far and away his best work, and, for me, the most complete and thrilling adaptation of the myth/history out there.
And Cornwell's Nimue is a character for the ages
Hugo - Go get it. Go on...
Have you read Jack Whytes series? If you liked Cornwell's interpretation you'll probably love Whyte's.
AH!!!
Oh my lord. I remember reading about his Camulod series when I started university and had it on my "must read" list. Which I subsequently completely forgot about when learning finally took over.
And now, 20 years later some kind poster has reminded me!
Amazing. Thank you!
Hugo - To the Runemobile, an 'puter, set course for THE LIBRARY!
Oh my lord. I remember reading about his Camulod series when I started university and had it on my "must read" list. Which I subsequently completely forgot about when learning finally took over.
And now, 20 years later some kind poster has reminded me!
Amazing. Thank you!
Hugo - To the Runemobile, an 'puter, set course for THE LIBRARY!
Probably a combination of "It's nothing like King Arthur," Guy Ritchie (sour grapes over Sherlock Holmes and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), and Charlie Hunnam (he's just awful and boring).
I say this as a fan of Guy Ritchie, although I wish he would go back to his more nuanced films like Rocknrolla and Snatch.
Hunnam is probably my biggest issue with this. Like you said, he's just bland. I don't know if I'd say he's bad he just doesn't have the kind of charisma necessary to be the kind of leading man the Hollywood people seem to be trying to make him and definitely not to play a character like King Arthur. I just like the style of this and the rest of the cast seems pretty good. It's definitely going to be a Netflixer though.
The first novel is a little weak, then it picks up for the next few - some really good grounding the myth in Romano British ideas and excellent battle scenes - but the two part finale focusing on Whytes version of Lancelot is... not good.
Still, overall, the strengths very much outweigh the weaknesses, especially if you don't bother with those final novels - they're kinda off on their own anyway.
Suffice to say, I was not watching Sons of Anarchy for him. It was entirely for Katey Segal and Ron Perlman (and to a lesser extent, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Dayton Callie, and Maggie Siff). His performance as Jax was so predictable that you could set an egg timer to his moods.
Here's a movie that combines the anachronistic "history with ATTITUDE!!!" tone that led Gods of Egypt, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Ben-Hur (2016) to such lofty heights last year alone. Yep, this 2015-recalling mix of the winning humor of Fant4stic, the awesomely desaturated visuals of The Last Witch Hunter, and the white-hot freshness of telling a classic story while hopped up on Red Bull of Pan, and there's no way this can lose! I haven't seen such a sure-fire franchise starter since Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe unleashed the first of their many Robin Hood films on the cosmos.
Meanwhile, this Charlie Hunnam guy reminds me of another mid-30s heir to a vast kingdom who definitely deserves to rule countless masses based on parentage and heroism... but who can I be thinking of...
It'll come to me, any minute now...
Move over, The Lone Ranger - the defining hero of the 21st Millennium has arrived!