Some movies do not really fail so much as they miss their moment. They show up, get a little overlooked, and then hang around long enough for people to finally catch up with what made them special in the first place. That seems to be exactly what is happening now with The Kid Who Would Be King. Years after its theatrical run came and went a little too quietly, the fantasy adventure has turned into a streaming favorite around the world.
Directed by Joe Cornish, The Kid Who Would Be King puts a fresh spin on the King Arthur legend without turning it into a cynical modern redo. Instead, it follows 12-year-old Alex, a regular kid who stands up to bullies to protect his best friend Bedders, even though he has no real way to fight back. Everything changes when he stumbles across a sword in a stone at a construction site and pulls it free, only to learn from Merlin that the evil Morgana is rising and undead warriors are preparing to unleash chaos. The film stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Alex, Dean Chaumoo as Bedders, Angus Imrie as a younger Merlin, Patrick Stewart as the older Merlin, and Rebecca Ferguson as Morgana. The supporting cast also includes Tom Taylor, Rhianna Dorris, and Denise Gough.
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Is ‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ Worth Watching?
Collider’s review stated The Kid Who Would Be King was a charming, clever reimagining of Arthurian legend that balanced fantasy adventure with heartwarming themes. Rather than focusing on destiny or royal bloodlines, the film zoned in on young Alex, an ordinary kid who proved heroism came from courage, empathy, and leadership. Cornish did a great job blending the historical with the modern, using Morgana’s looming threat as a backdrop for a story about unity in a divided world. The young cast brought warmth and humor, while Imrie stood out as an eccentric, scene-stealing Merlin. Though the film occasionally dragged and stumbled with a minor fake-out near the climax, its spirit, wit, and emotional sincerity made it one of the strongest family adventures in years. Fun without being preachy, it trusted kids to be the heroes of tomorrow.
“There are a few brief moments when the film drags a bit and an anticlimactic fake-out near the climax makes the film feel like it has to restart a bit to reach the end, but these are small qualms against one of the best kids’ adventure movies in recent memory. It’s a genre that has largely been abandoned as kids just head to PG-13 superhero movies, but it’s good that there’s a film like The Kid Who Would Be King for pre-teens who not only want to go on a fun quest, but will feel ready to take on a divided world as a result.”
The Kid Who Would Be King is on PVOD in North America.
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