12 Best King Arthur Movies Ranked: Worst To Best

John Boorman's passion project opens almost identically to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's a bold decision. Either Boorman didn't know or didn't care. Either way, bold decisions characterize the entirety of this interpretation of King Arthur. Over 30 years later, Excalibur remains a masterpiece to some and a nightmare to others.

The film is visually sumptuous. The knights literally don shining armor and battle one another against a vibrant world. Boorman wisely places his story out of time and out of place. This is simply The Land, at a time when the Old Gods are disappearing and the One God is growing in power. It's filled with reliable character actors and future movie stars. The soundtrack is haunting, a mix of Trevor Jones and Wagner. It grapples with the violence of the original tale and is gloriously R-rated. It has all the necessary ingredients for a successful genre film.

And then the characters begin speaking. Or rather, shouting. Everyone starts at 11 and stays there. It's something that alienates and irritates viewers, especially since the actors appear dubbed with their own voices. But if this not insignificant hurdle can be overcome, Excalibur truly is the definitive Arthurian epic.