Review of The Kid Who Would Be King (2019) by Kimber S — 27 Jan 2019

The classic stories about King Arthur and The Sword in the Stone have been told over and over again through many iterations. Personally, I've grown tired of this tale and had no interest in another retelling or reimagining. That being said, when I first glanced at the promotional material for The Kid Who Would Be King, it felt like a fresh take that would playfully change the age-old premise. With the talent involved in front of and behind the camera, I very quickly became excited. While this material may not interest everyone, if youâ(TM)re a fan of a good adventure or just plain silly fun, I think you may get a kick out of this film as I did. While itâ(TM)s not exactly wholly original, hereâ(TM)s why The Kid Who Would Be King deserves your attention (in theatres or not).

I was instantly more intrigued when seeing that it was going to be directed by Joe Cornish. His previous film in Attack the Block was one of my favourite films of 2011, simply due to the fact that it felt so original and fun. The Kid Who Would Be King probably wonâ(TM)t become a film that I admire as much as that one, but it was still a very fun time at the movies. Following Alex as heâ(TM)s bullied to the point of falling into a construction yard, he stumbles across a sword thatâ(TM)s sticking out of a stone. Being able to pull it out, he takes it home with him and begins to believe he is the new heir to the sword and that the classic stories are actually true. This is a very meta story that works very well, due to the fantastic portrayal of the lead characters.

From brief appearances by Rebecca Ferguson and Patrick Stewart to a breakout role for Dean Chaumoo, the most notable is easily Louis Ashbourne Serkis in the leading role. While this film is littered with solid performances, his is the one that stands above the rest. I canâ(TM)t wait to see his career evolve. If itâ(TM)s anything like his fatherâ(TM)s is (Andy Serkis) then he will be a household name in the years to come. From his comic timing to his devotion to dramatic moments, I found myself sucked in by his performance. He sold this character in ways that I wasnâ(TM)t expecting, which is saying a lot for such a young actor.

This is a very tight story and the plot story beats are quite predictable, which is easily the biggest flaw I found with this film as a whole. I found myself predicting the arcs of nearly every character, but it was done so well that I just shrugged that aspect off and was able to forgive that for the most part. The sense of adventure here is endless and although there is a beginning, middle, and end for this particular story, it feels like an open world that has the potential for further storytelling. For these little details, I was completely invested. There was also a point throughout this film where I felt the movie coming to a very anti-climactic close but was immediately followed by another 20-minute sequence, finishing off the character arcs that were needed. The conclusion of this film saved it from being a throwaway film in my opinion.

In the end, The Kid Who Would Be King probably wonâ(TM)t be known as one of 2019â(TM)s best films, but of the few Iâ(TM)ve seen so far, it ranks right up there. This was a joy to watch. It was almost as if Joe Cornish decided to take the best elements of classic adult adventure films (ie. Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter) and tamed them down for all ages to enjoy. I had a great time watching this movie and I think many viewers will be able to enjoy it as well. Definitely check this one out.