The extremely public domain tale of King Arthur has been told and retold in cinema throughout the ages. Here are six attempts at putting a new spin on an old story:

The Sword in the Stone (1963)

From our review: “Because of that, the ending – which, you may recall, is the entire point of everything – feels a tad weak. Yes, him pulling out the sword still packs a certain punch; we are, after all, talking about one of western civilization’s more enduring legends here, but after that?”

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

From our review: “It amazes me that after so many years and viewings, Monty Python and the Holy Grail remains as fresh and funny as ever. The sheer idiocy and ridiculousness that runs rampant through the film and its actors cannot be denied its fair share of humor value.”

Excalibur (1981)

From our review: “Exuberant battles, overblown speeches about foreswearing and honor, low-budget sorcery, guys rushing at each other pounding on armor with maces, and plenty of 1981 nudity makes for a not-too-shabby romp through a boy’s psyche.”

First Knight (1995)

From our review: “Richard Gere as Sir Lancelot: whose bright idea was that? He is an inherently unconvincing, laughable, very modern actor – do you really think he can pull off a realistic medieval swordsman (homicidally brave?) and the man who taught Romeo everything he knew about tragic love?”

Merlin: The Return (2000)

From our review: “Weirdly enough, both the good guys (including Guinevere and Lancelot) and the bad guys are all stuffed in this dimension without fighting or killing each other. They just kind of make passive-aggressive remarks to each other and presumably hold intermural rugby matches.”

King Arthur (2004)

From our review: “As they inform you at the beginning of the film, supposedly the legend of King Arthur is based on an actual person back in the late Roman empire. This sort of bold-yet-vague statement is the sort of nonsense that unduly grants the movie historical truth in the minds of the viewers, even while there’s little if any proof that any of these people actually existed.”