Charlie Hunnam Is a Bona Fide Badass in Guy Ritchie’s ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’

Sandra Miska

English actor Charlie Hunnam has been in the public eye for nearly two decades, known primarily for his roles on television. He’s also known for displaying different sides of himself—first as a gay teenager on the original UK version of the dramedy “Queer as Folk,” then as a charming theater major on the Judd Apatow sitcom “Undeclared,” and, finally, as an outlaw motorcyclist on “Sons of Anarchy.” Although he has also dabbled in film for years, 2017 makes the year that Hunnam has becomes a bona fide movie star, first with “The Lost City of Z” and now with the fantasy thriller “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.” Loosely based on the legends of early British King Arthur, this adrenaline-fueled film explores how this mythical man became the powerful ruler celebrated in romantic legend.

In this Guy Ritchie-helmed film, Arthur is orphaned at a young age after his evil uncle Vortigern (Jude Law) seizes the throne from his brother, Arthur’s father, Uther (Eric Bana). The details of what happens next are revealed to Arthur eventually in fragments, and he ends up being raised in a brothel in what was then known as Londinium. Fast forward 20 or so years later, and Arthur is living a rather low-key life until he attracts attention after a scuffle with Vikings who abused a prostitute (Nicola Wren). It’s not long before government resistance leader Goosefat Bill (played by Hunnam’s former “Queen as Folk” lover Aidan Gillen) comes sniffing around, and soon he is sent to attempt to pull the famous sword, Excalibur, out of the stone. After he succeeds and realizes his true identity, Arthur is reluctant to accept this call to action, especially after realizing his uncle isn’t too keen on letting him live. As Vortigern is the kind of leader who takes pride on ruling with fear, a sense of duty kicks in for the younger man, and with help from Bill and other rebels, including Bedivere (Djimon Hounsou), Arthur sets about reclaiming his birthright. Also joining him is a woman with magical powers known only as The Mage (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey). The sole female in his entourage, The Mage is the one who pushes Arthur the furthest to accomplish his goals, plunging him into dangerous situations to get him where he needs to be. Although there is no obvious romance between the two, one wonders if she is to be Guinevere.

Ritchie relies heavily on flashy special effects and frantic action sequences in “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.” Anyone hoping to learn some history would be better off renting the last major film about the legend of Arthur, 2004’s “King Arthur.” This version is heavier on magic and other fantasy elements, although the mythology here isn’t as developed as it could be. Pivotal Arthurian characters such as Lancelot are absent, although they are almost certain to show up in the sequel(s) that Ritchie and his band of men are no doubt hoping for. Overall, this is a fun film, and Hunnam totally rocks as this hero, who comes across more like Robin Hood than any monarch. One drawback is that at times it feels like Ritchie is trying to do so many things at once, which can lead to confusion.

“King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” opens nationwide May 12.