Chances are, you have seen many King Arthur inspired movies and TV shows. Though they may present differing variations of the legend, they typically look the same. The Kid Who Would Be King is a modern day King Arthur inspired movie that builds on the legend you know well, but in a way you have not seen. Here is the official synopsis:
Old school magic meets the modern world in the epic adventure The Kid Who Would Be King. Alex (Ashbourne Serkis) thinks he’s just another nobody, until he stumbles upon the mythical Sword in the Stone, Excalibur. Now, he must unite his friends and enemies into a band of knights and, together with the legendary wizard Merlin (Stewart), take on the wicked enchantress Morgana (Ferguson). With the future at stake, Alex must become the great leader he never dreamed he could be.
Despite the movie being based on a medieval legend, it is very contemporary and it deals with issues such as broken families, bullying, and fitting in. Rated PG, it is appropriate for the entire family. The movie keeps a good pace and combines humor, drama, and adventure seamlessly. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie.
One aspect of the film that I really appreciated was that evil is portrayed as an entity and people are not exclusively either good or bad. At one point in the movie, Merlin makes the statement that evil likes to divide people so they fight each other instead of fighting evil. This was a much welcomed change from most kids’ movies where everyone is good and one person (or group) is evil. Also, a couple characters make a choice to follow a good path instead of a bad path. These two elements of the film make it a fantastic movie for kids to watch. No one is all good or all bad, and we can choose what we do and who we are.
The Kid Who Would Be King is not going to win any awards for special effects or an Oscar for best picture. However, I enjoyed this movie more than most of the highly-acclaimed movies I have seen in the last few years. It was nice to watch a movie with my kids that had no inappropriate parts, but was still entertaining and exciting. Go see this movie!
Rating: PG for fantasy action violence, scary images, thematic elements including some bullying and language
Running time: 120 minutes
Scene after credits: No.
Disclaimer: I attended a media preview to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
About Janice
