King Arthur review

Throw away all your history books, Jerry Bruckheimer's in town. This is the Hollywood version of the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, the one filled with macho dialogue, elaborately staged fight scenes, impossibly good looking heroes and ugly villains. Having made pirates hip again (not to mention lucrative), the producer noted for adding new meaning to the phrase 'over the top' has delved further back in time for inspiration and the chance to rewrite the past with a little more pizzazz.

There are few greater myths than that of King Arthur. It's one that has all the right ingredients: a great leader, a loyal band of followers, a beautiful woman and a magical sword. The film begins with a statement that new evidence has come to light, implying the tale that follows is more historically accurate than the one we've grown up with. That said, this is Hollywood we're talking about, a place where the truth has never been allowed to get in the way of a good story. How much of King Arthur is actually true is of little matter. When seven men destroy an army of hundreds, suffering barely a scratch in the process, credulity is obviously not of paramount importance.

To have performed all the heroics accredited to him, it is easy to imagine Arthur as a fiery, inspirational figure. It's not a description readily ascribable to Clive Owen. Owen plays Arthur with the quiet reserve he brings to all his roles. Never one to get worked up, his phlegmatic style is perceived as a brooding strength by some. To others, it lacks contrast. If he were ever to let up his conceited veneer and reveal a glimpse of humility, it would make him a more engaging actor.

Fortunately Arthur's pagan knights provide some levity, in particular the unrefined Bors, played with brash exuberance by Ray Winstone. The film opens on the young Lancelot as he bids his family farewell before being sent off with other Samatian young men to serve the Romans under the command of Arthur. Cut to fifteen years later and Lancelot (Ioan Gruffud) is one of only seven remaining knights. All are looking forward to their impending freedom when they are given one final mission.

With the Romans about to leave England, Arthur and his knights are to head north of Hadrian's wall, deep into territory under threat from the marauding Saxons, led by the ruthless Cerdic (Stellan Skarsgård ) to rescue the Pope's godchild. Along the way they encounter their long time enemy the Woads, led by the shaman Merlin (Stephen Dillane). They also add a new recruit to their ranks, the beautiful and spirited Guinevere (Keira Knightley).

With one eye on insuring the film's child friendly rating, the battle scenes are tame and so frenetically edited it's unclear what's happening. No Braveheart blood and gore to be found here. Only shots of the invincible Arthur slicing his way through the enemy and the fearless and skimpily armoured Guinevere, painted up to look like she'd stepped straight out of Whale Rider, elegantly filleting Saxons.

Director Antoine Fuqua may be working in a very different arena from that of his last film, Training Day, but he applies the same slick, exaggerated posturing style. David Franzoni's script shows little attempt to understand the people or cultures he's dealing with, while the dialogue flits between cod Shakespeare and contemporary streetwise.

The thing about myths is they are able to endure. The legend of King Arthur has survived hundreds of years and numerous retellings and it's safe to say, it will be around long after the memories of this mildly diverting nonsense have faded.