Movie Marathon: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. & King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

It's not something every film fan wants to admit but I like Guy Ritchie's films. Some of them are very entertaining and well written, even if he isn't so subtle with where he draws his inspiration from. The end of the 1990s saw him make a name for himself with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and continue this success in 2000 with Snatch but the 2000s would see him fade as he tried to continue this success. Swept Away and Revolver did little to help him but he eventually made a relatively successful comeback with RocknRolla. But in 2009 he found success once more with Sherlock Holmes, and again in 2011 with a sequel. 

Now firmly set in blockbuster territory, Ritchie remade The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in 2015. Gone were the cockney cobbled streets of London and in was a James Bond styled European espionage action flick. This was a bold move into new territory, and to also go against Spectre that same year but he arguably toppled Bond with a stronger film.

Set in the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) teams up with KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) to thwart a mysterious criminal organisation using nuclear weapons. Ritchie wisely keeps things fun, fast and exciting, but it's the two leads with Ritchie's signature bromance that make U.N.C.L.E. worth watching. The spy elements and the stylish 60s setting will also keep Bond fans entertained, making it all the more a shame that this never received a sequel.

Instead of a Sherlock Holmes 3 or a sequel to U.N.C.L.E., two years later would see the release of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. I wasn't so sure when I heard news of this as what to imagine but I tried to remain optimistic until the trailer rolled around. It seemed Ritchie was going back to his Lock Stock days with a modern/'blokie' depiction of King Arthur but with giant beasts and plenty of magic. In this version, Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) is robbed of his birthright as a baby by Jude Law's villain but he eventually realises his 'destiny' (I don't like writing but that's the story) and sets on a path to free the people from Law's rule.

The rumours of reshoots, filming delays and reports of going over budget are all apparent here in what is truly a mess of a blockbuster. Thank heavens this failed at the box office as it killed-off a supposed six film franchise because I really can't recommend it to anyone. It's not insultingly bad, it's just such a shame that so much time and effort went in and all we have is this. It wants to be funny, exciting and dramatic but fails on every level. Hopefully, for the director himself, Aladdin turns out better for him next year.