"King Arthur"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Clive Owen as ARTHUR Ioan Gruffudd as LANCELOT Keira Knightley as GUINEVERE Hugh Dancy as GALAHAD Stephen Dillane as MERLIN Stellan Skarsgård as CERDIC Mads Mikkelsen as TRISTAN Joel Edgerton as GAWAIN Rated NOT RATED Studio: Touchstone Pictures Directed by: Antoine Fuqua Back to DVD Review Home |
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It actually isn’t infrequent for this to happen to me. I see a movie in its initial theatrical release, and I give it a substandard review. Then, I see the film again on DVD, and I find that it grows on me a bit. Not a lot, mind you, but enough to bump its rating up a half star or so.
I usually find that this is a result of some decent supplemental features on the DVD that help me appreciate the film more than I did when I saw it in a room with a bunch of strangers. In the case of “King Arthur,” what helped fill out my movie watching experience was hearing director Antoine Fuqua’s commentary. While he didn’t turn the film into a five-star movie for me, I understood his passion behind the film he made. And I understood some of his decisions in the filmmaking process.
This version of the King Arthur story goes back to the supposed true story behind the legend. Taking place during the Dark Ages, this King Arthur is part of the knights that were enslaved by the Roman Empire. In this story, Arthur is leading his band of warriors home after fifteen years of service to the Empire. However, before they get their papers, they have one final mission that will test their loyalty to Rome - and each other.
What impressed me more about this film on DVD is the detail that was put into the history. Fuqua’s commentary was not pretentious, but showed his passion for the subject. I could better appreciate the backdrop. In my review of the theatrical release, I said that history buffs would probably like this film more than your average Joe. And Fuqua’s comments and insight helped bring out this history buff in myself.
There are still problems with the story, and the legendary elements are sometimes forced into the framework. The love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere doesn’t quite work, and watching those battle scenes again remind me that Guinevere’s “armor” had some serious design flaws in it. The extended unrated version on this DVD provides more gory battle sequences and a few extra scenes that give some more background and depth to the characters.
The DVD also contains an alternate ending, which has a heck of a lot less hope and optimism than the storybook ending of the film proper. With Fuqua’s additional commentary to it, I understand where he was going, but it just doesn’t work to round out the film. You’ll also find a nice behind-the-scenes featurette about the making of the film that will help you appreciate the training the extras had to go through just to be fodder for the knights’ swords.
A few less common elements are found on the DVD, including a “Knight Vision” trivia track. Like pop-up video, this gives you insight into the history behind the knights. Unfortunately, it doesn’t throw enough information at you and barely warrants another viewing of the film.
Probably the most intriguing feature on this disc is the cast and filmmaker round table, moderated by producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Bruckheimer puts his ego in check for this discussion and focuses a fairly cogent discussion with Clive Owen, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd, Hugh Dancy, screenwriter David Franzoni and director Fuqua.
Normally, I’ll get annoyed with too much of filmmakers patting themselves on the back when they reflect on a movie that performed poorly at the box office. However, this discussion had real passion about the product rather than a job well done. It was refreshing to see a group of filmmakers respect the story behind the movie rather than their own egos.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (2.35:1) - Enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Spanish subtitles. English subtitles for the hearing impaired.
