“King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” (PG-13)
Director Guy Ritchie gives the legend of King Arthur a swift kick in the pants with “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” an origins story starring Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy”) in the title role of a movie that barely resembles anything you’ve seen or read of the tale before. Basically, it’s story before the Knights of the Round Table and before Guinevere, and its definitely more sword and sorcery than it is a medieval battle tale,
Ultimately, “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” is more like a “Lord of the Rings” or “Hobbit” film than anything else — except that it’s peppered by Ritchie’s breakneck, stylish pacing and fast-talking dialogue until it crumbles into a run-of-the-mill action movie formula in its third act. If you can free your mind of anything you’ve known of King Arthur before this, you’ll likely find the film fairly entertaining. If you’re a devotee of the Arthurian literary tradition, get ready to hate it with a passion.
Lammometer: 6 out of 10
Listen to Tim’s review of “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” and “Snatched” with Tom Barnard on KQRS.
“Snatched” (R)
Two years after the success of her comedy “Trainwreck,” Amy Schumer is back on track — or at least partially — with “Snatched,” an action comedy that co-stars film great Goldie Hawn. Schumer plays Emily, a woman jilted by her boyfriend shortly before a big trip to Ecuador. In an act of desperation, she invites her over-cautious mother (Hawn) with as a replacement.
Charmed by a British man she meets at a resort bar, Emily fails to realize it’s a set-up for something far more sinister. The next day, Emily and her mom are kidnapped by thugs for ransom; but quickly escape and try to navigate the jungles of the Amazon as they bumble their way to safety.
Fans of Schumer’s will enjoy the comedian’s explicit brand of comedy throughout, while others will run out of patience after the film’s funny set-up. There’s just nothing humorous about people getting snatched by murderous thugs in a foreign country, which leads to a very uncomfortable premise for the bulk of the film as Schumer tries to mine humor in a very precarious situation.
Lammometer: 5.5 out of 10
Watch Tim’s review of “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” and “Snatched” with Adrienne Broadus on KARE 11.