"I am pleasantly surprised. Fuqua, whose films include The Replacement Killers (1998) and Training Day (2001), has used every bit of Franzoni’s deep research, including Franzoni’s respect for the material, to give depth and texture to this historic drama." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "Who cares about the toying of a sacred legend? This film works on it’s own merits." Victoria Alexander FILMSINREVIEW.COM "A smart action movie." Kirk Honeycutt HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Great fun to watch even though it's completely preposterous." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "Owen is able as Arthur but it is Knightley's Guinevere who steals the show." Jackie K Cooper JACKIEKCOOPER.COM "An exciting, testosterone filled adventure that any Bruckheimer fan will enjoy." Stefan Halley HERO REALM

"Epic filmmaking with extraordinary battle scenes far removed from the normal CGI fare. Incredible attention to detail breaths new life into this much touted story. You will be placed into the heart of the action by the use of multiple cameras with some even attached to the shields and the amour. Great escapist cinema." Jaimie Leonarder SBS MOVIE SHOW "Forget all that accuracy business and just enjoy the movie for what it is: a large-scale, passably engrossing tale of valiant knights doing valiant deeds." Rene Rodriguez MIAMI HERALD "Over the top and completely humorless, but also fiercely effective." Rob Vaux FLIPSIDE MOVIE EMPORIUM "Looking like a medieval Grizzly Adams channeling The Terminator, Stellan Skarsgard as Cedric is worth the price of admission alone." Staci Layne Wilson FANTASTICA DAILY "The potential of a political bent to this tale is realized nicely, and the film metes out proportions of angst against action with greater care than Spider-Man 2." Nick Rogers STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER SPRINGFIELD

At A Glance

"My hat is off to producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Antonio Fuqua for an exciting tale about the Knights of the Roundtable and one man's destiny to become king." Vince Koehler ENTERTAINMENT SPECTRUM

The first thing you should do before seeing the Anthony Fuqua & Jerry Bruckheimer story of "King Arthur" is this; forget everything you have seen or heard about the legend of King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Camelot and anything to do with the Knights Of the Round Table. Put it all away somewhere in the darkest corners of the brain. Why? Because this is nothing like anything you've seen before and unless you can totally accept what is being put forward in "King Arthur", unless you can put aside the prejudices towards anything new, then chances are you may not fully enjoy what is a bold new interpretation of a story which has fascinated generations of children and adults alike. Over the years there have been many myths about King Arthur and a quick search of the internet will reveal just how varied the view of King Arthur is. Some claim him as a Celtic King while others offer proof that he was bonnie King Arthur of Scotland. No matter what, the joy is in the fantasy, the accepting of what suits ones self and being comfortable with it. When it comes to Fuqua & Bruckheimer's version, there is certainly a romantic charm to what they claim is a more factual version of Arthur, Merlin and all of those associated with the rise of a great English King. The important point is to remember that this is just another film [albeit a quite entertaining one] designed in the great tradition of those that the legendary Bruckheimer is noted for. In fact, Bruckheimer's story is one of which legends are made. Love him or hate him Bruckheimer is a legend. Box office receipts of $US13.5 billion, 35 Academy Award nominations, 23 Golden Globe nominations resulting in 5 Oscars and 4 Golden Globes. Then there's the 6 EMMY Awards and those 4 Peoples Choice Awards, a mass of MTV Awards and of course one Best Picture of the Decade Award. He has the midas touch it seems. Take "Pearl Harbor a film I gave a big wrap to, despite a tide of critics giving it the thumbs down. It went on to gross $US450 million at the box office and took another $US250 million in DVD and Video sales at last count. Then there's the recent "Pirates Of The Caribbean" which so far has grossed &US630 million and revived the lost popularity of the pirate story. Oh yes, Jerry is good. And did I mention his television shows? You know the ones. Like "CSI, which became the most watched show in the USA. This shows success led to "CSI Miami" and "Without A trace". But hands up those who knew "The Amazing Race" was a Bruckheimer production? Take a big bow if you did, because yes it was. All that surely should be a big enough recommendation to see "King Arthur". But in case it is not, in a recent interview star Ioan Gruffudd [pronounced YO-an Griff -ith] remarked when asked if he read the script before signing replied that the fact that it was a Jerry Bruckheimer production was all the incentive he needed. The graduate student who studied at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and appeared in "Black Hawk Down" knew appearing in a Bruckheimer film can do wonders for ones career. So what do you get in this latest effort to charm us, fascinate us and regale us with the might of Arthur and his knights. Well for a start a whole new slant on the origins of the boy who extracted the fabled sword Excaliber and went on to champion the cause of good with the assistance of a powerful wizard named Merlin. This story of Arthur started many years ago, "before I became a professional screenwriter," recalls David Franzoni who at that time came across the name of a Roman commander, Lucius Artorius Castus. "I used to hang out at the library, and I picked up some student’s paper that mentioned him as the possible genesis of the Arturian legend. It stuck with me." But how accurate is this connection? Franzoni explains. "There’s a moment in history that we can actually pin down," he says. "There is a name and there is a battle." The name was Lucius Artorius Castus and the battle was the Battle of Badon Hill. This battle changed the face of Britain and created a legend which has survived for generations and has been reinvented many times. I thought it was a great opportunity to go back and try to find out what these people were like and to tell their story realistically." And producer Jerry Bruckheimer agrees. "The truth is that King Arthur lived in a much earlier time period than you see in most of the movie versions; the Dark Ages. David Franzoni worked out a new approach to the subject matter that offered a more historically accurate story of King Arthur." To get the right feel for the movie Bruckheimer brought on board someone he says he had always wanted to work with. That director was Antoine Fuqua ["Training Day"]. "Through the years, I have studied mythology and related matters and specifically the legend of King Arthur," Faqua said. "As a kid, I used to play knights with my friends and then as an artist, I wanted to make a film like this. When the opportunity came through Jerry Bruckheimer to do this film, I didn’t hesitate to make it. I think Jerry thought I was the right guy for this film because I believe this movie is gritty. You can actually taste and smell the violence and death. You can feel the cold and the despair. It’s very apocalyptic. In the world at that time, there wasn’t a lot of hope. Hope is what Arthur represents." Brickheimer had a story and a director, now he needed a cast. "I felt that it was appropriate for the subject matter to try and keep it as authentic as possible," says Bruckheimer. "One way of doing that is to have representatives from various countries be part of this story. " The job went to the renown veteran casting director Ronna Kress ["Pirates Of The Caribbean" and "Remember The Titans"] who assembled a cast drawn from Ireland, England, Europe, and Australia. It's the cast that are the biggest plus for "King Arthur". An ensemble who perform most admirably. Director Fuqau words, "I wanted a whole new, fresh idea on the screen, and I wanted that reflected in the actors" ring true throughout the film. So what did Faqau and Bruckheimer have to say about those who portray the legendary figures and what did the cast themselves see in their characters? Clive Owen ......
"I wanted a leading man who had presence, power, grace, and ability to pull it off, and when I met Clive, I just couldn’t get him out of my head", says Faqau. "He has an authority and presence on screen that is just perfect for King Arthur", notes Bruckheimer.
Keira Knightley ......
"Keira is amazing," Fuqua said. She just lights up the screen. She did most of her own stunts"
Ioan Gruffudd ......
"He [Lancelot] is incredibly loyal, he’s passionate and arrogant and cocky. He knows that he is incredibly skillful with his swords.
Ray Winstone ......
"He [Bors] likes getting in there but he is getting a bit old. He is slowing up a bit, a lot like me and he hurts a lot more."
Ray Stevenson ......
"He [Dagonet] is someone who believes more in action than dialogue. Dagonet is a consummate warrior even down to the clothes he wears."
Hugh Dancy ......
"Galahad is the youngest and the most passionate about returning home as he remembers it the clearest."
Joel Edgerton ......
"When Gawain hits the battlefield he’s keen to take as many lives as possible and if he dies that’s all right too."
Of course there is much, much more to the making of the new legend of "King Arthur", much more than can be contain here. From the costume design, the weapons reasearch and so on. The important point is simply this, "It all comes together well." Bruckheimer and Faqau have most certainly created an entertaining film with an interpretation that will surely become a talking point for many who hold the legend of "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table" sacrosanct. Explore The Myths & The Legend Make up your own mind. Visit these sites for More on the legend of Arthur. Just click an image.

"It is hard to unravel the legend because Arthur is credited with more heroic acts and battles than is humanly possible. The legend of Arthur probably is a composite of several people who lived in the first half of the 5th century AD. This is the period following the Roman occupation when Britons were left to hold off the Saxon invasions on there own. This is the period called the Dark Ages because there is little known about this time. If Arthur is a real individual, then he was not a titled king but a nobleman of mixed Roman-Briton heritage who rose to prominence as a skilled war leader. He is never referred to as a king or a chieftan in early histories." .... The Legends Of King Arthur

Crew Bytes "King Arthur" was .............
directed by MTV Award winner Antoine Fuqua ["The Replacement Killers", "Training Day", "Bait" and "Tears Of The Sun"]; written by David Franzoni ["Jumpin Jack Flash", "Amistad" and "Gladiator"]; produced by Jerry Bruckheimer ["Flashdance", "Bad Boys", "Enemy Of The State", "Black Hawk Down" and "Pirates Of The Caribbean"]; original music by Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer ["The Lion King", "Days Of Thunder", "Gladiator", "Black Hawk Down" and "Veronica Guerin"]; cinematography by Slawomir Idziak ["Gattaca", "Proof Of Life", "Men With Guns" and "Black Hawk Down"]; costume design by Penny Rose ["Evita", "The Commitments", "Local Hero" and "The Good Thief"]; production design by Dan Weil ["Nikita", "The Fifth Element", "The Dancer" and "The Bourne Identity"]. Casting About "King Arthur" stars .............
Clive Owen ["Croupier", "Gosford Park", "The Bourne Identity" and "Beyond Borders"]; Ioan Gruffudd ["Titanic", "102 Dalmations", "Solomon and Gaenor" and "Black Hawke Down"]; Ray Winstone ["Sexy Beast", "Last Orders", "Ripley's Game" and "Nil By Mouth"]; Zulu Award winner Mads Mikkelsen ["Open Hearts" "Pusher", "Pusher 2", "I am Dina" and "Wilbur Wants To Kill Himself"]; AFI Award winner Joel Edgerton ["The Hard Word", "Ned Kelly" and "The Night We Called It A Day"]; Hugh Dancy ["Black Hawk Down", "Ella Enchanted", "Tempo" and "Young Blade"]; Stellan Skarsgård ["Ronan", "Good Will Hunting", "Insomnia", "Passion Of The Mind" and "Dogville"]; Tony Award winner Stephen Dillane ["Welcome To Sarajevo", "Hamlet", "Spy Game" and "The Hours"]; Ray Stevenson [TV's "Band Of Gold", "City Central", "Green Eyed Monster" and "Dalziel and Pascoe"]; Til Schweiger ["Manta, Manta", "In Enemy Hands", "Driven" and "Judus Kiss" ] and Keira Knightley ["A Village Affair", "Bend It Like Beckham", "Love Actually", "Pure" and "Pirates Of The Caribbean"] as Guinevere. The Story

"Based on real data or not I rather like this grittier, wilder version of Arthur's legend. Bone up on your ancient English history a little before you go, and enjoy the ride." Karina Montgomery CINERINA

After 15 years of serving their Roman masters, Arthur and his remaining Knights are about to become free men. Or so they believe. Their celebrations are cut short and their hopes are dashed when they receive news from Bishop Germanius that to gain their freedom from Rome they must undertake one more mission. A mission that will take them behind Saxon lines, deep into enemy territory. Arthur is not happy at the prospecy of losing either his life or those of his remaining Knights but loyal to Rome he undertakes the request. It is a journey frought with great peril and danger. Until Arthur meets a fiesty young woman named Guinevere. Through her he will form an alliance with a wizard named Merlin, the leader of an army known as the Woads. Arthur and Merlin join forces to battle the invading Saxon army which is intent on taking their land now that the Romans are withdrawing their forces. This battle will shape the future and bring a new king. King Arthur. The Verdict "Bruckheimer has done it again. The combination of director Antoine Faqau, writer David Franzoni and a stella cast breathes new life into an old story. No doubt this interpretation of the legend of Arthur and his knights will create great controversy amongst purists who see Arthur as a romantic knight in the old mould. Never the less, Bruckheimer's "King Arthur" has a comfortable feel about it, at times a real sense of humour and that grand battle at films end. Well worth having a look at, "King Arthur" should sit well with those who love a good yarn and a real sense of adventure. Forget every preconceived idea you have about King Arthur and you'll really enjoy Franzoni's interpretation." The Cast

Clive Owen Ioan Gruffudd Mads Mikkelsen Joel Edgerton Hugh Dancy Ray Winstone Ray Stevenson Keira Knightley Stephen Dillane Stellan Skarsgård Til Schweiger Sean Gilder Pat Kinevane Ivano Marescotti Ken Stott Lorenzo De Angelis Stefania Orsola Garello Alan Devine Charlie Creed-Miles Johnny Brennan David Murray

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Arthur Lancelot Tristan Gawain Galahad Bors Dagonet Guinevere Merlin Cerdic Cynric Jols Horton Bishop Germanius Marcus Honorius Alecto Fulcinia British Scout Ganis Lucan Merlin's Lieutenant

The Crew Directed Antoine Fuqua Written by David Franzoni Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Original Music by Hans Zimmer Cinematography by Slawomir Idziak Film Editing by Conrad Buff & Jamie Pearson Casting by Michelle Guish/Ronna Kress/Frank & Nuala Moiselle Production Design by Dan Weil Set Decoration by Olivia Bloch-Lainé Costume Design by Penny Rose Run Time 125 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - Touchstone Pictures/Jerry Bruckheimer Films - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2004 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved