Warner Bros. Has More Rock And Less Ritchie in Second “King Arthur” Trailer

Last summer when Warner Bros. released the first official trailer for KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD, it packed a punch even though it appeared disjointed. The first half of that trailer shows Charlie Hunnam in the midst of a scene that felt like it was lifted from a snappy heist scene, and was intercut with close-ups of the Arthur character running through an English town’s streets with the feeling of a video game. The second half quickly lost this as it focused on grandiose shots filled with CGI crowds and even a monster at one point. This latest trailer completely shifts gears. Instead of the snappy dialogue between characters we have classic rock music blaring over action sequences. It gives for epic action with nods of contemporary fun but does not include director Guy Ritchie’s unique style of storytelling.

There are multiple King Arthur and Robin Hood projects in the works, each will be working to bring in a new perspective to the medieval tales we’ve heard many times before. As cool as this film looks at times in the new trailer, it begins to look more and more like the recent video game adaptations that have struggled in theaters. This new advertising may attract fans of World of Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed, or are desperate for some fantasy stories to hold them over to the next Game of Thrones season, but it is more likely to confuse people who wanted to see Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels with a medieval twist.

This movie is likely to land with the same size splash as Ritchie’s Man from U.N.C.L.E. feature, which was fun and had great visuals, though also flawed. The end result will be the first of several projects on the way to theaters that could have an uphill battle with audiences if they can’t figure out how to blend their unique voice with a classic, European story.

Emily J | TV Editor