The Kid Who Would Be King — 3 Gavels 87% Rotten Tomatoes

Like Robin Hood, one messes with King Arthur at his peril. I appreciate the effort to bring the rules of chivalry into the 21st Century, but must we also bring Knights of the Undead? Having said that, pre-teens will like this movie, adults less so. I give this movie 3 Gavels, and it has an 87% Rotten Tomatoes rating with a 72% Audience score.

Plot

King Arthur defeats his evil half-sister, Morgana, confining her to the depths of the Earth. She vows to return to rule England; Arthur vows that Excalibur will be there to greet her. Fast forward to 2019 London; Alexander escapes bullies and finds Excalibur. Merlin appears and tell him that Morgana will appear in four days. Only the one and future king can defeat her.

Actors

Louis Serkis is Alexander, and Dean Chaumoo is his best friend Bedders, both wonderfully cast 12 year olds. Angus Imrie is young Merlin and Patrick Stewart is old Merlin, both forced to do weird hand gestures to perform their magic. I hope none of your kids try to emulate them. Rebecca Ferguson is Morgana, rarely in human form, truly a wasted performance.

Final Thoughts

Surprisingly, like the Green Book, the funniest part of the movie is a scene with fried chicken. Projected to lose $50 million, the weather in the Midwest and Northeast will do nothing to help those numbers. Honor those you love, refrain from wanton offense, speak the truth, and persevere to the end are the rules of the chivalric code. These are teachable moments, well worthwhile. But, sneezing to change from young Merlin to old Merlin to an owl? Good luck with that one! If you have cabin fever and have to get out of the house, you could do worse. Otherwise, this should be on one of the streaming services real soon.