Imperialistic, naive, inaccurate, cute and therefore insanely funny.

Rating: 4/10 (8 March 2011)

Oh, dear. It's a really bad movie, but still worth watching, even for laughs (or for unshaven Colin Firth).
I swear I was told it is an "epic historical drama". By my sense, it is just a little less historically accurate than "Asterix in Britain". Why didn't they go for a full fantasy picture, but only used style of filming typical for fantasy movies and pretended to be using historical setting? Maybe that's how you could film a legend.
Legends, however, most of all show how certain people today want to define their identity. By this interpretation of the Arthurian legend Britain apparently says: "we, the British, have the true spirit of Roman soldiers, and totally so do Black and Hindu people under our rule." I'm not sure if it's plain imperialism or just political correctness gone wrong and whether I should laugh (well, I did almost every time I saw that fat African-American dude among the Roman legionaries) or just get sick (it's a modern movie, do people really think that way?). I think Firth's many roles as an upper-class English gentleman contribute to this picture.
There are many things that didn't make sense neither historically nor within the plot. It's hard to say whether the creators of the movie were ignorant or rather purposefully wanted to show their beliefs and values regardless of the general knowledge. I'm not going to list every detail, but surely the better you know history, the louder you'll laugh.
Putting the confusing overtones and nonsensical settings aside, it is an enjoyable adventure with some funny moments and moving hugs. The movie is also family-friendly, because there is nothing inappropriate except sword fights. And even though Aishwarya Rai looks gorgeous, there's no chemistry between the male and female protagonists, the romance is implied just because they are the male and female protagonists. The implication is so weak, that I (an imaginative adult) honestly though they lied on the bed together because it was cold.
My guess about the target audience was perfect. Within IMDb demographics the movie is rated the highest by Males under 18 (action-adventure plot with a sophistication of the last decade's PC game) and Females over 45 (sincerly, Colin Firth has never looked so manly in any other movie). Doesn't it speak volumes?
I must have really overrated the movie with 4 stars, but at least I had a good laugh and didn't get bored. Also, there was the moon shown twice in different phases, which is the most rare things in movies (in almost all cases it is only the full moon which is the proper hint that it is night) and that excuses the poorly digitally pasted backgrounds in view scenes and saves a star.
Dear me, I still can't stop laughing. Maybe re-reading some fragments from a history book and re-watching "Mamma Mia!" will help me restore sanity.
And if there is any new movie about Spartans, Vikings and Ninjas coming out, make sure Colin Firth is in it. Unshaven.