“Snatched” (Comedy: 1 hour, 30 minutes)

Starring: Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn and Wanda Sykes

Director: Jonathan Levine

Rated: R (Crude sexual content, nudity, violence and profanity)

Movie Review: In one scene, comedian Wanda Sykes says one in four tourists become hostages in a region of South America. About only one in every four should like this interesting but wayward comedy. 

Emily Middleton (Schumer) reluctantly takes her mother, Linda Middleton (Hawn), with her on trip to Ecuador after Emily’s boyfriend ends their relationship. The vacation destination is paradise and a carefree Emily and an overcautious Linda find relaxation until a local gang kidnaps them. Their plight takes them to rough sides of South America.

American comedies often make their characters over-the-top people who act stupidly. The characters are supposedly funny, but instead they are goofy-acting personas. They are rarely funny as their actions are asinine, juvenile behavior.

“Snatched” has a few moments where it strives to be good material. Two such scenes are Emily and Linda’s realization the other is cool. Emily realizes her mother is much more fascinating and Linda realizes her baby is now an intriguing adult. Like many parents and their offspring, people do not really understand and appreciate loved ones until they understand each other as mature adults. It is a good message in this comedy.

However, the movie quickly goes to the gutter afterward. Director Jonathan Levine has directed better, smarter comedies. The notables are “Warm Bodies” (2013) and “50/50” (2011). “Snatched” is not one. 

Grade: C (Snatch it later when it arrives on video.)

“King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” (Action and Adventure: 2 hours, 6 minutes)

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Djimon Hounsou and Jude Law

Director: Guy Ritchie

Rated: PG-13 (Profanity, suggestive content and violence)

Movie Review: Guy Ritchie’s style is artistically modernizing screenplays. He is the director of “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” (1998) and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (2015). 

He has a unique way of providing comical moments while making sure the moments are visually engaging. 

“King Arthur” has those elements, but it bogs down in fantastical visuals that involve overly animated facets.

A rambunctious Arthur (Hunnam) runs illegal activities of Londinium with his crew. He is unaware he is of royal lineage. He is the son of the late King Uther Pendragon (Eric Bana), monarch of sub-Roman Britain. 

Arthur’s life changes when he removes the legendary sword Excalibur from a large stone. Arthur must confront his uncle, the dictator King Vortigern (Law), the man who murdered his parents and stole the crown.

Ritchie, Joby Harold, Lionel Wigram’s screenplay reinvents some of the parts of this tale about King Arthur’s background as a kid and young adult. After countless stories about King Arthur, this one tries to capture moments about the famed character’s early life. 

It presents a different view of Arthur, a modernized story. The modern style of the presentation with that of the period in which Arthur supposedly exists is a mismatched coupling. 

Ritchie tries to be creative with an old tale by adding “Lord of The Rings”-type elements. The effort is less than par by an overabundance of visual effects and poor rewriting of the character’s story that is not convincing.

Grade: C (Not legendary this outing.)