Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

In this modern adaptation, The Kid Who Would Be King is a good way to introduce children to the King Arthur legend.

British writer and director Joe Cornish, who wrote the screenplays for Ant-Man and The Adventures of Tintin, returns to a directorial role for the first time since his 2011 thriller, Attack the Block.

In The Kid Who Would Be King, Cornish reimagines the long-told story of “King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone” in present-day England, delivering a fresh take on the classic tale about the struggle between good and evil.

Having been adapted twice in the last 15 years with King Arthur: Legend of The Sword (2017) and King Arthur (2004), The Kid Who Would Be King far exceeds Guy Ritchie and Antoine Fuqua’s respective attempts when it comes to originality and inventiveness.

The Kid Who Would Be King tells the story of Alex (Louis Serkis), a 12-year-old British schoolboy who is fed up with school bullies (Tom Taylor and Rhianna Dorris) who endlessly pick on him and his best friend Bedders (Dean Chaumoo).

Alex longs to reconnect with his father, who left behind a book of Arthurian legends before he disappeared mysteriously.

Everything changes when he discovers a sword at an abandoned construction site — a sword that turns out to be Excalibur, the legendary blade of lore that only the true king can pull out of the stone in which it is
embedded.

Can this nerdy little kid possibly be the true king? If so, he will have to face off against Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), an evil sorceress who thrives on the disharmony that runs rampant in the world.

The Kid Who Would Be King is a feel-good family film that, while it is a magical work of fantasy, also uses its modern setting to touch on a variety of contemporary issues.

These issues include bullying and family conflict that are interwoven in a manner that children can relate to, keeping the film grounded in spite of all its imaginative and fantastical elements.

The film also explores the themes of friendship, loyalty and making your way in a confusing world as a child.

The world is a chaotic place full of obstacles, which in Alex’s case is represented by the bullies who torment him, but if one leads by example, the world can become a better place. While magical powers and glistening swords are fun, stepping up as a leader defines true heroism.

One of the great successes of the film is Merlin (Angus Imrie), the ancient wizard who has embraced a teenage persona in an attempt to hide himself from the world.

Merlin comes off as an awkward high school student, rambling on about philosophy while making strange hand gestures, which are revealed later in the film to have more meaning than initially thought.

Merlin makes the movie a lot more enjoyable, shining as a hilarious, dorky presence that has a central role in the plot — as opposed to simply being used as comic relief, which such characters are so often reduced to.

Louis Serkis, the son of acclaimed actor Andy Serkis, does a convincing job as Alex, a sweet but tough character that makes for a strong protagonist.

While Alex is a symbol of the kinder, nobler qualities young people should strive for, Serkis’ performance lends the character a relatable aura of self-doubt and eagerness, and Chaumoo’s Bedders is simply adorable and responsible for many funny moments in the film. Patrick Stewart also shines in a surprise cameo role late in the film.

The Kid Who Would Be King is a very British movie, with an all-British cast and a British director, and of course, it is based on a timeless English tale.

While the 21st-century setting requires plenty of alterations from the original story, it is highly intriguing to see the many ways Cornish has flipped the elements into the modern story, from the Sword in the Stone to the Lady in the Lake.

The script balances humor and emotional resonance as it portrays Alex’s development from nerdy dreamer to brave warrior, without overdoing the mythical elements and keeping the film grounded.
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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

‘The Kid Who Would Be King’

Director & writer: Joe Cornish
Producers: Nira Park, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Cast: Louis Serkis, Tom Taylor, Rebecca Ferguson, Patrick Stewart
Running time: 120 minutes

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