You'll see where it's going, but it still hits the mark

Rating: 8/10 (14 August 2010)

I was not among those who loved Training Day, so I didn't watch King Arthur(well, that wasn't necessarily the only reason), and this is the first Fugua film that I really liked. Like TD and Street Kings, this isn't constant action(what there is is all excellent and effective); there's a lot of tension, and there is a level of realism and detail(especially to the sniping, this is one of the best depictions of it in this medium... heck, it's one of the few to actually include the spotter, and he's an indispensable asset). This is quite gripping, it keeps your undivided attention from start to finish. The characters are mostly well-written, nicely developed and psychologically accurate. There are exceptions; the villains are pretty one-note. The acting is good, other than, for some reason, Glover and Beatty. Wahlberg is surprisingly convincing(and note that he isn't a one-man-army, it's closer to Bourne or such). This is beautifully photographed, with absolutely stunning scenery, and remarkably well-edited, not flashy and not plain. The plot is engaging and satisfying(if the ending is a tad Hollywood). Dialog is great, as is the sense of humor, very natural, in the case of both. There is a lot of bloody violence and a bit of strong language. The DVD comes with an interesting and informational commentary track by the director, 11 minutes and 22 seconds of deleted scenes(completed ones), a 7 minute 22 second featurette called Independence Hall(nothing other than a boring, jingoistic history lesson), and the 22 minute documentary Survival of the Fittest, which I will review on its own page here on the site. I recommend this to any fan of the cast and/or this kind of movie. While not something you haven't seen, it does what it's supposed to and the presentation is impeccable. 8/10