The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)


The tale of King Arthur is one story that has been told many times in the realm of motion pictures. From interpretations for kids like 1963's “The Sword in the Stone”, to more adult evaluations like 1981's “Excalibur”. Now, we have a story about King Arthur that fits in halfway. With the recent “The Kid Who Would Be King”, director and writer Joe Cornish manages to create a unique update to the Arthurian legend, while at the same time explore the concept of being a kid fairly well. However, the film does suffer with its execution, but that does not mean the movie itself is quite entertaining. “The Kid Who Would Be King” is a fun, if flawed, and enjoyable production of a reiteration of something audiences have seen before.

The story follows young Alex Elliot (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), who gets bullied and feels like he really can't stand up to himself. One night, Alex stumbles upon a construction site that surprisingly contains a sword. He pulls the sword, and is suddenly thrust into a modern day King Arthur scenario. With the help of Merlin (Angus Imrie and Patrick Stewart), Alex must what it takes to be a noble person in order to vanquish evil from Britain.

“The Kid Who Would Be King” does have a lot of good things going for itself.

For instance, the cast presented here deliver fairly good performances. Serkis and the rest of the supporting cast do fine jobs with what they are given. The only ones that may not stand out from the rest of the crowd are Imrie and Stewart, with the later only appearing on screen for a short period of time; it almost feels like Stewart is making a brief cameo appearance, and that's it. Also, Imrie feels like he is giving an over the top performance, and that can be a little distracting throughout the production.

But the cast is handled very well under the supervision by Cornish. He manages to create a modern and unique world to form an Arthurian legend that is set in today's world. And speaking of, the sets and locations are magnificent and really a sight to behold. Even the set where our main character meets the film's protagonist Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), is definitely one of the more creative executions of the underworld. This is a very visual pleasing film.

And speaking of which, the creature effects in the movie look like something out of a comic book, making the movie stand out even more. Plus, the final fight scene near the end of the movie is really creative, and thoroughly enjoyable.

If the film does have any criticism, then the main issue is with the story itself. While it does offer up some nice character growth, as well as some good action, the movie does move at a slow pace, and it takes its sweet time getting to the inevitable conclusion. Plus, the story does have its fair share of predictability; yes, this is a family film, but at least offer up something new and exciting for audiences to enjoy.

There is a story element involving trying to reconcile with his father, but after a brief explanation about how his father never really cared for him, this plot line is quickly dropped. If the movie had some sort of resolution to this story element, then it would have been just fine on its own.

But as it stands, “The Kid Who Would Be King” is a passable attempt at bringing the legend of King Arthur in an entertaining point of view that families will enjoy. If you're looking for something exciting and enjoyable, then this is the movie for you to go and watch.

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