ARTHUR THE KING (1985) **1/2 The Arthurian Legends have attained such an exalted level of consideration that it hardly affects their status for me to jump on the bandwagon and say that they're really cool. They are. Over the years it's proven possible to ruin them, often to a spectacular extent, on film, but the song remains the same and quite a song it is. This version looks great. But they didn't have quite as much money as they'd hoped, apparently, and so some of the special effects are pretty cheesy. Gloriously cheesy though, the dragon is incredible. Clive Donner does a great job of keeping it moving along; with a story this great it's so easy to get caught up in the details-or your favourite part-but he keeps it all moving along at a pace that's not confusing but doesn't lag. Casting is a problem. Candice Bergen is very funny as Morgan Le Fey (and I think in what's essentially a children's version you're looking for funny rather than evil), but she's the only one of the principals who's anywhere close. There's nothing imposing or Arthurian to Malcalm McDowell's Arthur, Rupert Everett is more like a lobotomized Harry Potter than Lancelot, and Rosalyn Landor never makes much of a case for anyone needing to follow her anywhere, much less hell or wherever. She would have made more sense as John Belushi's dumped date in Animal House . All of which just goes to show how powerful the story is, because it's a funny movie anyway. Yes, you laugh at it some, but never bitterly.
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