By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
It?s understandable if your inner child comes alive when watching the fun, family friendly movie,
?The Kid Who Would Be King.?
Director/screenwriter
Joe Cornish (?Attack the Block? and ?Ant-Man?) serves up a contemporary take on the Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
This wild, fantasy adventure centers around Alex ( Louis Ashbourne Serkis, son of Andy Serkis, aka Gollum/Caesar), an adorable 12-year-old schoolkid, whose father has died, but Alex is being raised right by his mother (Denise Gough, ?Colette?). He?s smart and considerate of others.
Still, Alex isn?t one of the cool kids at school which makes him and his nerdy best friend/classmate, Bedders (a terrific debut by Dean Chaumoo) stand out from the crowd and become an easy target for bullying.
One day at school Alex tries to defend Bedders from two persistent bullies named Lance (Tom Taylor, The Dark Tower?) and Kaye (Rhianna Dorris, ?Secret Life of Boys?), but to no avail. Alex and Bedders wind up being chased. They manage to escape in a dilapidated construction area.
It?s here that Alex finds a sword stuck in stone. He?s able to pull it out and when does, he discovers it has enormous powers.
And quicker than you can sneeze, a magician named Merlin (Angus Imrie, TV?s ?Hollow Crown?) and his older version played by a hammy and devilish Patrick Stewart (upcoming movie, ?Charlie?s Angels?) appears.
They inform Alex that he?s been chosen to help conquer the evil forces of sorceress Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson, ?Mission Impossible: Fallout? and ?The Greatest Showman?). She has a crew of soldiers who ride on fire-lit horses.
This is a pretty big deal and far greater than anything Alex could ever dream possible. Even he wonders why he was tapped and tells Merlin, that he?s just kid. He can?t fight any battles and take down people.
Then again, he?s a kid wielding an incredible sword. When it?s in hands anything is possible.
Before long, this once scary, play-by-the-rules kid rises and becomes a brave and fearless leader. He even convinces many of his fellow classmates--and even enemies Lance and Kaye--to join in this quest.
There?s not a lot of violence in ?The Kid who Would be King? which is nice, and the young Louis Ashbourne Serkis has a commanding screen presence just like his old man.
But what really makes ?The Kid Who Would Be King? a crowning achievement, is it?s just a kid?s movie through and through. The story is simple, clever and filled with life lessons and refreshing messages about courage, friendship, loyalty and family. It?s an absolute delight.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 6:20 p.m. on radio station KFBK 1530 AM and 93.1 FM.
Check Out This Trailer For
"THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of The Broadcast Film Critics? Association (BFCA), The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), The Alliance Of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
