Printer Friendly Version - An Updated King Arthur Adventure in The Kid Who Would Be King

Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) and Merlin (Patrick Stewart) share a moment after a tough, life-altering battle in the fantasy, The Kid Who Would Be King. Photograph copyright Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

In an earnest, family-friendly version of the King Arthur legend, The Kid Who Would Be King lays siege to present day England. Today’s world is pictured as gloomy, fearful, globally divided, and in one town, full of bullies, not unlike Harry Potter’s world of muggles. There’s a hint of the Brexit controversy as the British prime minister pulls away from the European Union, but in the film it serves as a vague background and fuel for ancient evil forces to rise up again. Alex, played by Louis Ashbourne Serkis (Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, Alice Through the Looking Glass), son of actors Andy Serkis and Lorraine Ashbourne, proves his emerging acting prowess as the youngster who pulls out King Arthur’s sword, Excalibur, from its stone. This time the stone appears in a construction site.

Alex and his sidekick, Bedders, played by a delightful Dean Chaumoo in his first film, are victims of bullying by Lance (Tom Taylor: The Dark Tower, TV’s The Last Kingdom) and Kaye (Rhianna Dorris: TV’s Secret Life of Boys, and Stage School). As Alex escapes through a throng of his classmates, his red coat sets him apart from his downcast peers. The two enemies become Alex’s knights when he must fight Arthur’s evil half-sister, Morgana. Morgana, played by an unrecognizable Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Fallout) who is covered in roots, will rise from the underground with her dark sorcery and army of fiery, skeletal sentinels. She whispers ominously, which becomes annoying in places, as does her vow, “the sword must be mine.”

The quirkiest and most entertaining characters in The Kid Who Would Be King are the young Merlin and his older self, played by Angus Imrie (TV’s The Kingdom, Father Brown) and Patrick Stewart (Logan, Star Trek movies, TV series). Flashing mischievous eyes, Imrie makes his hands fly, performing Merlin’s magic with a wizard-like flexibility. Elder Merlin, who looks frazzled with wild, white hair, delivers his wisdom like a comic Shakespearean character. The two are vigorous enough to enliven the film. Since Merlin lives “backward in time,” both take turns aiding the youngsters.

Alex’s father, who is long gone, gave his son a King Arthur book and signed it, “To my once and future king.” Alex thinks it confirms his quest, but later discovers that his mother (Denise Grough: Colette, A Dark Place) may not have been truthful about the book’s inscription. This diversion may not be necessary, since the Arthurian legend is rehashed as a cartoon at the beginning. Writer/director Joe Cornish (Ant-Man, Attack the Block) might think the absent father emphasizes Alex’s difficult circumstances and lack of self-confidence, therefore urging the audience to cheer on his king status.

Alex recruits a horde of his classmates to battle Morgana and her minions. It’s a bit too cute that the students outfit cars with bumpers, drop gym equipment onto the enemies, and try with ropes to capture Morgana (who morphs into a bat-like creature with wings and a dragon tail). She is not as scary as many other creatures in other fantasies, but she suffices for a kid-friendly war.

The Kid Who Would Be King honors the Arthurian myth in a contemporary setting with moderate success. The actors carry the benign lines and action along for an entertaining, lively lesson on King Arthur for the next generation.