The Kid Who Would Be King is a fun romp for the whole family.
Far and away not the coolest kids in the playground Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) and his friend Bedders (Dean Chamou) find a sword stuck in the ground at a building site and realise they might be destined for more than just being picked on a school… the sword turns out to be the mythical “Excalibur” and they are thrust headlong into the adventure of a lifetime.
Joe Cornish’s (also on director duty here) snappy script is the first thing that stands out. There is an obvious attempt to engage kids and adults alike, and it’s not shy about making a political comment or two either, which is refreshing in a world all too dominated by saccharine-sweet CGI efforts with little or nothing to offer than bright colours and cute critters bouncing around the screen.
The special effects are remarkably accomplished for a kid’s film and the set pieces will prove exciting for both kids and adults (albeit if they may prove a little too scary for a really young audience). The finale set in the school is an absolute joy and incredibly creative with some of the best use of school P.E. equipment (as stand in castle fortifications) seen on screen.
The gamble with a young cast is that they may not quite be good enough to carry the film (see the early Harry Potter films for example) there are no such problems here as the young cast are consistently superb. Louis Ashbourne Serkis in the lead is the highlight and on the basis of this performance he should follow his dad’s (Andy Serkis) footsteps and become a well-respected star.
Thankfully it’s not all about the kids though. The casting of Patrick Stewart as an older Merlin is an inspired choice and lends some gravitas to the film that otherwise may not have been there. On the downside, Rebecca Ferguson is criminally underused as Morgana and given too little screen time to maximise her talents. It’s a little bit of shame that the film runs out of steam about two thirds in and seems to muddle itself a little in false endings before finding its feet again, but what we have here is a snappy, thoroughly entertaining treat for all ages.
Author: Paul, Bath store
