Review Summary: A fun and exciting time, ol' chap!
Every year I always pick one or two novelty films to get into the Top 10 anticipated list. This year (and last year when it was originally scheduled for September), this movie had my attention. Everything about it reminded me of the kids' adventure movies of my childhood like Spy Kids and Percy Jackson. While the trailers had some cheesy elements, it still looked like a whole mess of fun.
And that's exactly what Kid Who Would Be King turned out to be; a whole mess of fun, and perhaps a bit more than that in terms of what I expected. Yes, fantasy flicks and heroes' journeys for movies in general have become as formulaic as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a child's lunchbox. But, the film doesn't fall into those particular genre trappings, at least not quite.
For one, the movie isn't just about the visual effects. Yes, this film does have some panache and a few professional visuals. But, there's a convincing emotional center in Joe Cornish's directing here. He makes this a relatable and very interesting coming-of-age story (which just happens to have the King Arthur legend as a backdrop). In a few scenes in particular, the film succeeds in pulling on our heartstrings. We witness a 12-year old boy start to understand the disappointments the world brings, and how it wrenches his innocence. That's pretty deep stuff to be honest.
Speaking of the boy, Louis Serkis (son of director and actor Andy Serkis) delivers a breakout lead performance here. He's as charming and cool as you want him to be, but he delivers on the more grounded scenes too. At one point, I wanted to jump into the screen and give him a big hug after his character finds out a startling secret. That's not easy to do when you're a child actor. And he nails this role quite masterfully.
The entire young cast, in general, is a hoot. Each is given a moment to shine or a key joke here and there. There's also appearances from a couple of veterans. The legendary Patrick Stewart gets a couple of memorable scenes. Rebecca Ferguson steps outside her comfort zone as the villainess Morgana. I do think she's a bit restrained in her screentime, ultimately, being hidden in shadow or nearly unrecognizable 85% of the time. But, she proves she's up for the challenge no doubt.
The second thing the movie does unexpectedly is that it's not as predictable as you think its' going to be. There's a handful of neatly-executed twists and turns that keep you engaged in the overall story. It is a "hero's journey", but there's also bits and pieces of a "rite of passage" blended into the plot. These elements truly help the film from becoming a generic fantasy flick, and also add much-needed emotional heft and character development.
The beginning of the film in itself is a highlight. Hand-drawn animation makes another appearance (after a 15-minute segment in Mary Poppins Returns) as we get a storybook opening to help give us a quick re-introduction to the "King Arthur" legend. It's impressive, and yet the scene is also kept short to avoid having way too much exposition. Besides that, sometimes the visual effects are a tad over-the-top. But thankfully, they don't overwhelm the plot.
There are a few creepy moments that could have been toned down (though not to the point where I would argue for a PG-13 rating). And, the film does lag in its pacing sometimes too. A couple of the action scenes go on for a few minutes too long, and a few of the tests the characters go through also feel a bit elongated.
In the end, however, Kid Who Would Be King is well worth the price of admission. It's entertaining, exciting, and carries an appreciable amount of heart and charm. Will it become a classic? On first viewing, I don't think so. But, its' still a ride that families (with older kids) will very much enjoy.
My Score: 8.2/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: The Kid Who Would Be King is rated PG for "fantasy action violence, scary images, thematic elements including some bullying, and language". I would not recommend this for kids under the age of 9. There are a handful of action scenes. The overall intensity remains in PG territory for the most part, but there are some frightening images. Zombie warriors (of sorts) rise from the ground to swordfight Alex and his friends on a few occasions. However, no one ends up seriously hurt by the end of these battles and it’s pretty much bloodless. The warriors are engulfed in flames, which may prove to scare children. Many of these warriors are slashed and destroyed by the heroes, vanishing into dust. Morgana shapeshifts into a couple of scary creatures as well. We see fleeting images of multiple skulls in her lair. In dragon form, Morgana creates a tornado of destruction. Alex stabs Morgana once. A dragon’s head is decapitated at one point (digitally). A car window is shattered open and cars crash (mildly) at the end of one scene. Merlin (in bird form) smashes against a window. The opening scene shows Morgana in her scary dragonesque form attacking and later being sucked into a dungeon. In one other scene, trees come to life to spar with Alex and his friends for training purposes. Later, Morgana causes vines to come up out of the ground and nearly pull the kids into the ground.
There's a bit of mild language (one use each of "h***", "bloody h***", and "d***", along with 8 or 9 uses of "oh my g**"), and a bit of irresponsible behavior (Kaye and Lance are bullies at first, hanging a kid upside down and punching another to the ground. They later reform, but their actions are still worth noting). Meanwhile, Morgana’s female form is only covered with some vines in a couple of early scenes. There’s no nudity, but skin is visible. We also witness a distance shot of Merlin’s human form naked walking across a field (fog covers any distinguishable nudity, but its’ clear he’s not wearing any clothes). People react in shock to his lack of clothing.
As what you might expect from the King Arthur story, magic and sorcery play a part here, with zombies brought back from the dead, some shapeshifting and hand spells used. Meanwhile (possible spoiler), Alex finds out that his dad was an alcoholic (it's treated in a negative and saddening light, however).
