Film Review: The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)
English actor, writer, and director Joe Cornish was the right choice to helm The Kid Who Would Be King, a modern take on Arthurian legend. His other directorial feature, Attack the Block (2011), also features a cast of youngsters, and though far from kid-friendly, it clearly shows that he can work with young actors and has an insight into what makes them tick. The Kid Who Would Be King taps into the same vibe as Attack the Block but is purposefully toned down enough to reach the desired demographic while still retaining an air of subversion and rebellion that kids love – even if they can’t put into words exactly why. For parents who were in the 8 to 14 demographic in the 80s or early 90s, you’re likely to get some very strong nostalgic pangs (and a dose of political allegory). The Kid Who Would Be King is a throwback to when studios used to pander to the youth of my generation. Movies for kids don’t look or feel like this anymore – but boy did they used to.
In the days of yore, movies aimed at young people weren’t afraid to scare the crap out of their audiences. There’s nothing overtly terrifying about King, but there is frightening, demonic imagery that, upon seeing it, made me realize how much of it I’d grown up with from the movies of my youth. Cornish seems to have stumbled upon something writers, directors, and studio execs used to know and use: kids like seeing other kids in intense, mortal danger. And they like seeing these same kids defeat the danger without any help from adults. It’s a very simple formula that I didn’t even notice had mostly disappeared from the film landscape, but here it is. Is high adventure by and for kids going to make a comeback? Time will tell, but I sure as hell hope so because I’ve got a 4-year-old who can’t get enough of the stuff.
King follows the tale of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as well as any other telling, but this time around, the legend is just that – a legend. It exists in books and movies only. That is until one day when a bullied boy named Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) stumbles upon a large sword stuck in a piece of concrete at a construction site. Once pulled, dark and powerful forces are unleashed which Alex – along with a ragtag group of sidekicks (Tom Taylor, Dean Chaumoo, and Rhianna Doris) – must stop at all costs. Aiding them on their quest is the most eccentric and entertaining version of Merlin I’ve ever seen (Angus Imrie – with Patrick Stewart as an old, homeless-looking variation of the same character). With one of the cleverest “get the damned adults out of the way” set-ups I can recall, the group heads out to defeat Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), the pissed-off half-sister of the original Arthur.
The premise and execution are deceptively simple, and it’s all paced perfectly for the attention span of the target audience. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Cornish studied the entire 80s Amblin Entertainment catalog (which includes revered childhood classics like The Goonies, Gremlins, and E.T.) along with some other, more esoteric fare like The Neverending Story, Labyrinth, or Monster Squad in preparation for the film. Hell, he probably has all those and more on VHS at home (I’ve got a few myself).
Taking things a bit further, Cornish (who also wrote the movie) injects plenty of subtle and not-so-subtle subtext right into the film’s theme. Likely without realizing it, young audiences are being given a call to action, and by extension, permission to make a profound change to the status quo starting right now. Cornish recognizes and accepts that the young people of today have been given the shaft politically, culturally, and economically, and he’s telling them not to take it anymore. In fact, he’s begging them not to take it anymore. Without saying any names, anyone paying attention can tell exactly who the real enemy in the film is. It puts a smile on my face.
To the parents of kids who like movies, consider taking them to see The Kid Who Would Be King before some flatulence-filled animated nonsense. If you stop insulting their intelligence with under-achieving drivel, you might like the results. Plus, there’s a good chance you’ll like the movie too. Afterward, go home and bust out that dusty old copy of The Goonies you have in the garage (or find it online – whatever works) and show them how you used to roll.
