The Kid Who Would Be King Movie Review

The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

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Written by: Joe Cornish
Directed by: Joe Cornish
Starring: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Denise Gough, Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor, Rhianna Dorris, Rebecca Ferguson, Angus Imrie, Patrick Stewart
Rated: PG
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Plot
A teenager from the lineage of King Arthur joins friends and bullies alike, embarking on an epic quest with the help of Merlin to thwart Morgana who has broken free from her prison.

Verdict
This taps into the nostalgia of being a kid and wishing for a fantastic adventure, but that only takes it so far. It's completely enjoyable if a tad forgettable. This is a tale that's been told plenty of times, but this has enough humor and big impact scenes to set it apart. A child watching this that hasn't seen numerous takes on the Arthur legend could see this as one of their hallmark childhood movies.
It depends.

Review
It's the King Arthur tale that we've seen before, but it has a lot of charm. It's certainly better than Clive Owen's magic devoid King Arthur (read my review) and it's more engaging that Guy Ritchie's CGI fueled King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (read my review).

 

Alex is a bullied kid that stands up for his best friend, but that doesn't result in becoming a hero. One night while running away from bullies he stumbles across a sword in a concrete column. This starts the adventure.

The underlying reason for the sword returning and Morgana nearing her return is how bad the world has become. The movie doesn't outright state it, but I assume the world needs a hero that can unite everyone while providing something tangible in which to believe. The movie indicates that magic exists, we've just forgotten it.

Angus Imrie plays Merlin.

Merlin returns to guide Alex, and that character is a lot of fun. He's more cartoon than dour wizard. Merlin at first poses as Mertin, a kid at Alex's school. Alex's first reaction is that he's glad there is finally someone more likely to be bullied than his friend Bedders and himself.
Merlin's magic involves complicated hand movements that look rather silly, though they produce results.

At night is when Morgana's forces can attack Alex, and he knights the bullies so they can help him though they don't realize what they're getting into. They embark on a journey to rid the world of Morgana. Just when you think Alex has done it, we're told that's not the end.

Alex with the aid of Merlin arms the kids at his school, turning it into a fortress. You can easily pick at some of the logic in this movie, but it's for kids. It has a message about being a good person and seeking to unite people rather than divide. These are ideals important in modern society, and this movie is making a statement on that.
This is a fantastical movie that's supposed to be a few steps out there. It taps into childhood fantasies of legend, knights, and battles. What kid doesn't want to pull a sword from a stone and become a knight? I know I daydreamed of using my school as a castle to defend against the bad guys.