Movie Review: The Kid Who Would Be King

By Anna Newton
Jefferson Junior/Senior High School Student

I’m sure you thought that the January film The Kid Who Would Be King would be cheesy and low budget. A waste of your ten bucks. That’s probably why you haven’t seen it yet, and don’t want to.

But for me, though you probably won’t believe it, The Kid Who Would Be King was a pleasant surprise.

The premise of a twelve year old British kid finding Excalibur and being thrust into a swashbuckling adventure with nothing but the knowledge he has of the legend, his allies and the magical sword that signals the one true king seemed pretty promising. To me, at least, and it might’ve for you too. All of this said, I was expecting a Harry Potter or Percy Jackson-like coming of age tale but with Arthurian legend instead of wizards or the gods of Greek mythology. And they delivered. Just like those modern classics, The Kid Who Would Be King follows a young boy, Alex Elliot, who learns something shocking. In his case, it was that he was the once and future king of England. He’s just a normal, slightly awkward kid who finds himself thrust into an epic battle between light and darkness like he’s only read about or seen on the silver screen. He has to defeat a frightening foe with the help of his friends and family and find what has always been inside of him, what he might not have known had been there. Alex, the twelve year old kid with the single mom who started out as one of the school nerds who protected his friend from bullies was given the chance to become a hero of legend.

Not only was this movie’s premise most everything I hoped it would be, but the film was chock full of amazing characters. Any great movie needs a great plot, but it also needs great characters. In my opinion, this movie had great ones. Let’s begin with Alexander Elliot. Your typical unlikely hero, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to save the people he loves. He approaches his newfound responsibilities with courage and valor beyond his years. He shows tons of great leadership qualities. But he’s also flawed, like any great main protagonist must be. If you’re looking for a great male role model to show your kids, here’s a great one. Of course, Alex wouldn’t be the same without Louis Ashbourne Serkis, the very talented actor who portrays him. Kudos to him. Any main protagonist wouldn’t be the same without their awkward, geeky best friend. And in Alex’s case, that was Bedders. Finding out your best friend is the heir to King Arthur would blow anyone’s mind. And it sure blew Bedder’s. Alex has always been a hero to him, but he’d never expected this. He found himself locked in an epic showdown between light and dark with Alex, and he discovered a courage within him that he never knew was there in the first place. With his nerd culture references and hope in his allies, Bedders is, as of now, 2019’s Ron Weasly. Next is Kaye and Lance. They started the week bullying Bedders and Alex, and ended it fighting alongside them in a battle of fictional proportions. Through struggle and strife, the duo discover their inner knights. I can’t forget one of the most important characters in the entire film: Merlin. The typical mentor character who sets the protagonist on their path, Merlin is wise and unafraid to challenge his charge to be the best he can be. Merlin goes back and forth between an awkward teenager and wizened old man, and his naivety towards the modern world leads to some pretty funny moments. While Dumbledore has his wand, Obi Wan has the Force and Gandalf his staff, Merlin has his snapping, clapping and very dramatic hand motions, magicing his way through situations like nobody’s business. Finally, a slightly underappreciated character, and one that I believe is equally awesome: Alex’s mom. She’s raised her son mostly on her own, and has done so very successfully. She is strong and independent, and when she finds out her son is the true king of England, she takes it very well. She might’ve made a few mistakes, but she’s human, and she still exhibits traits that many can take example from.

A movie would not be a movie without an intriguing villain. Harry Potter wouldn’t be Harry Potter without Voldemort, and Star Wars wouldn’t be Star Wars without Darth Vader. And The Kid Who Would be King wouldn’t be the same without Morgana. She is the embodiment of evil, and she yields for no one and nothing. She isn’t too light as in some kids movies, but she isn’t too dark evil. She’s a happy medium. She will stop at nothing to get Excalibur. With her army of undead warriors at her side, she’s ready to get what she believes is rightfully hers. And unlike some villains, the fact that she’ll have to kill a twelve year old to get that thing doesn’t stop her.

Filled with flaming swords, glorious battles, edge-of-your-seat action, twists, turns, emotion, humor, darkness, light, good, evil and everything in between, The Kid Who Would Be King is a fantasy adventure flick the entire family can enjoy. Though it might not be Oscar worthy, or on the level of something like Lord of the Rings, it is still a fun, exciting movie and it exceeded my expectations. Who knows, it might exceed yours too.