Jam Out With Led Zeppelin in the Latest ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ Trailer
It’s amazing how much difference a song makes. We’ve been treated to several teasers for Guy Ritchie’s upcoming King Arthur: Legend of the Sword movie, and to this point, I would have described them all as just OK. Ritchie’s particular brand of historical fiction and modern action aesthetics — including his signature fast-slow-fast brand of fight choreography — is something I’ve gone back and forth on a little bit in the last few years. I’m not a big fan of Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movies, but I did rather enjoy The Man From U.N.C.L.E., meaning our first looks at King Arthur were just kind of ho-hum in my book.
I have to admit, though, this last trailer kind of turned it all around. Not only did we get way more Eric Bana — I know he’ll be dead by the title card, but whatever, I take what I can get — we also were treated to some bright magic to match all the dirt and grime of the original trailers. There’s hope in this King Arthur: Legend of the Sword trailer that we might be treated to more than just a monochrome slog through fake history. That’s enticing.
There’s also something about the song choice here that just locked everything into place. Granted, Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” is doing an awful lot of the heavy lifting, but whether it’s the rhythmic editing of the footage or the way the bombastic seriousness of the movie matches the bombastic seriousness of Zeppelin’s music, everything clicks. If Ritchie can walk the same fine line between virtuosity and semi-seriousness, maybe I’ll have room in my summer schedule for exploding swords and the Young Sorcerer Jude Law after all.
Here’s the full synopsis for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword:
When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern, Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy…whether he likes it or not.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword also stars Charlie Hunnam, Annabelle Wallis, Katie McGrath, and Djimon Hounsou and will hit theaters on May 12, 2017.