The King - new Netflix film

[ColonelMutumbu]

I thought this could be a pretty decent based on the production value. Honestly as someone with interest in both film and this period and deeper than average(but not scholarly) knowledge of both, I thought it was fine, not good , not egregiously bad, just fine. (what sort of nobleman goes to battle without armour, also the dauphin falling over was funny and pathetic in equal measure but didnt make sense considering that plenty of other men and been wrestling over that patch seconds ago wearing full armour)

My take aways were that it made me want to paint more of my HYW french(huzzah for motivation from unexpected places), and that Timothee Chalamet is a solid actor for someone I'd not heard of before. I'm getting more cautiously hopeful as a result that the new Dune might actually be good.

[Cubs]

Finally got round to seeing it … oh dear.

About and hour and a half in, I really liked it (the head-scratcher Battle of Shrewsbury aside). It seemed well acted (even Robert Pattinson's OTT cabaret act as the Dauphin was well done I thought and Henry V's diminutive stature didn't bother me too much), visually it was great, I enjoyed the slightly archaic (but not too archaic) dialogue and the fight scenes choreography was nasty and dirty.

But then it went weird. The 'take' on Agincourt (eh?), the complete re-write of Henry V as a peacemaker (eh?), the bizarre duel with the Dauphin (eh?) and that bit of touchy-feely, "Let's sing Kumbaya sat in a circle" complete nonsense at the end … sheesh. It left me feeling the same way as when I watched 'Highlander II' - it somehow managed to completely undo all the good up to that point for me.

As a standalone film, with medieval characters rewritten for modern sensibilities, I can see how people might enjoy it. But for me the fact that it got so close and then soured it, made it all the more disappointing.

[Atheling]

If the measure of a good movie can be made by watching it again then I managed another 52 minutes before I gave up.

Sorry, it just lacks the requisite dynamism and tension to keep me on song.