I was just thinking, "What does the world need most right now?" Why another version of the King Arthur story. This is the part of the tale when Arthur leaves France to regain his throne being usurped by his son. We watch Arthur lament for most of the film on how he is not fit to be king and a lot sayings about being a king. The characters were not overly exciting.

Guide: brief sex and nudity. No F-word.

A budget drama with fantasy elements, this movie is a committed attempt to show the legendary King Arthur in a different light. Compromised by fighting abroad, he must deal with both the criticism and the consequences he faces for fighting foreign wars rather than protecting his home. Unfortunately, Arthur & Merlin: Knights of Camelot is light on both plot and characterization. Arthur's return to Camelot is slow and tedious, leaving the audience to wait a long time for the movie's final, climactic 15 minutes.

It's also frustrating that Modred, Arthur's illegitimate son who has a genuine grievance with him, is reduced to a pantomime villain. Guinevere (Stella Stocker) is likewise undeveloped, as she wards off Modred's advances and does little else. Another criticism is that the script occasionally slips into modern speech -- Modred is described as "making a play" for the kingdom at one point -- and that many scenes repeat the same plot points through their dialogue. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is that Merlin (Richard Brake) is presented as one of the lead characters, but only appears in a handful of scenes. It's another missed opportunity in this medieval tragedy. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 12/19/2020

I was fooled by the rating. Should have read reviews. 90 minutes (not all because I walked the dog) lost forever..: