Hollywood has refined and redefined the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table so many times over the generations that one would imagine this war horse craves retirement from the world of remakes. Like "Spider-Man 2," this is a smart action movie, allowing its impressive sets, costumes, effects and battles to serve as handmaidens to story and character. Screenwriter David Franzoni supplies a much more historically plausible tale than previous forays into Camelot, while director Antoine Fuqua brings the gritty naturalism of "Training Day" to this story of men -- and one woman -- at war.

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