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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 46 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 Iffy for 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 80
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt

    An engrossing, highly intelligent reimagining of the legend of Arthur. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Not a bad movie, although it could have been better. It isn't flat-out silly like "Troy," its actors look at home as their characters, and director Antoine Fuqua curtails the use of computer effects in the battle scenes, which involve mostly real people. Read full review

  • 70
    Washington Post | Michael O'Sullivan

    By going back to its origins and dusting itself off, the King Arthur story has proved itself to have a very contemporary resonance. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    Impressively made and well acted by an exceedingly attractive cast, this dark tale of ceaseless conflict is adult entertainment and will likely disappoint viewers expecting a "Camelot"-like love triangle. Read full review

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    In a movie like this one, a little madness is its own Holy Grail. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Mike Clark

    For better or worse, but surely satisfying novelty needs, Jerry Bruckheimer's King Arthur is set much earlier than usual and against the crumbling Roman Empire, which may even (or not) be historically legitimate. Read full review

  • 50
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Strains credulity at every turn. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | Dana Stevens

    Luckily there is an element of broad, brawny camp that prevents King Arthur from being a complete drag. Read full review

  • 50
    Los Angeles Times | Manohla Dargis

    A nutty, often enjoyable farrago of craft and cinematic sampling, King Arthur moves fast and loose, and is almost aggressive in its absence of an original idea, in and of itself a Bruckheimer trademark. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    In King Arthur, everything goes wrong. The film combines the plodding sincerity of a Ph.D. dissertation with the brains of a high-concept Jerry Bruckheimer- produced blockbuster (which it is), and no one benefits. Read full review

View more reviews for King Arthur on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 13+ Entertaining, but ultimately forgettable.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this movie has many battle scenes and deaths, with lots of swords flashing and arrows flying, even if they do not depict gore and explicit violence. Young Arthur sees his town burnt and knows that his parents have been killed, which will disturb some children. Several victims of torture are shown in weakened states and refer to machines of torture. Two characters have a sensual scene with non-explicit sex. Characters talk about women, sex and their physical attributes. Arthur's men drink to celebrate and drink to mourn loss.
  • Families can talk about leadership and the characteristics that inspire loyalty in this movie, as displayed by Arthur, Merlin, and the Saxons. The horror on the face of the Bishop's men at the sight of the famous Round Table is a statement on hierarchy. Families might wish to talk about the notion of equality that Arthur discusses versus the manner in which the Romans are depicted. The concepts of freedom, duty, and service are all used frequently in describing reasons for battle. Do you think these rallying speeches are moving? Do you think other factors (and if so, which) are what motivate the troops?
The good stuff
  • rolemodels true2 Positive role models: Strong female character, discussion of equality for all as the ideal.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Frequent bloody battle scenes; allusions to rape and torture; lead characters die.
  • sex false3 Sex: Allusions to sexual prowess, a sensual scene of implicit sex.
  • language false3 Language: Anatomical references, cursing religious beliefs.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters drink ale, references to drinking to forget and to celebrate.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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