King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) was Guy Ritchie translating Arthurian legend into his own idiom, and it lost a great deal of money. Knowing that going in helps. This is not a historical epic or a fantasy saga. It is Ritchie's London gangster film wearing medieval clothes. Arthur grows up on the street, builds a crew, talks fast. The editing constantly jumps ahead of itself, so a plan and its execution unfold at the same time. If you like that style the film is good fun. If you do not, it is exhausting from the first scene. Very few people land in between. Jude Law as the villain is the best thing in it. Charlie Hunnam struggles to carry the lead, and most of the criticism collected there. A six film series was planned. When this one failed the rest were cancelled, so the story simply stops rather than concludes. Good for: Guy Ritchie's style, fast cut fantasy action. Less good for: anyone wanting the traditional Arthur legend, a stately period film, or a coherent world. There is violence and there are very large creatures, so it is not one for young children.