Film Review: The Kid Who Would Be King Is A Triumph
I love when “kid movies” hold adult, moral lessons. When they try to infuse into both their story and quotes a sense of higher being/ standards for children to admire and follow. Movies can change how a person sees and, thus, behaves in this world. The Kid Who Would Be King (TKWWBK) does exactly that by redefining what it is to be a hero.
Louis Ashbourne is perfect as Alex. A young kid, abandoned by his dad, and struggling to love and remember a parent that would do such a thing. While his mother tries to fulfill both parental roles, he cannot shake that his father will return or had a grander motive for his leave. Already, from its beginning, The Kid Who Would Be King is so important and relevant to the lives of children being raised by single parents and facing the stigmas that come with such a situation. Alex gets bullied by the likes of Lance (Tom Taylor) and Kaye (Rhianna Doris), and feels “less” as a kid with a “deadbeat dad.” Thus, how could he be the one to save the world?
How you carry yourself in the face adversity is definitive to Alex’s heroism. In may not be of “noble blood,” but The Kid Who Would Be King shows that nobility is a spiritual attribute. For far too long people have let money and materiality define “higher class,” and TKWWBK is NOT for that. At two hours, it goes by like a breeze, its special effects will, naturally, enthrall kids that wish they could steal a car with their friends and drive it through fiery horse demons. In essence, this film’s action sequences are like video game dreams; encapsulating every sword fight a child fantasizes having against a dragon. Thus, a high-octane adventure led by a kid that is constantly made “less” by the world is, exactly, what a child will feel emotionally relevant.
Playing the villain is Rebecca Ferguson’s Morgana; the hissingly, soft-spoken sister of the legendary King Arthur whom is unthreatened by Alex’s retrieval of Arthur’s sword. To her, Alex is an annoying kid, and the world is so heartbroken and hopeless, he cannot save it. Written and directed by Joe Cornish, The Kid Who Would Be King is a triumph because it sums up how sad the world has become. It is not just that corrupt governments, economic inequality, climate change, and devastating violence has swept nearly every country, but we, as a species, have allowed it and are not planning to stop it anytime soon. Cornish uses the legend of Arthur and our historical present to show that humanity has always been self-destructive, but our “bounce-back” rate is off. We cannot seem to get back up from how much we have dragged ourselves down. Hence, as characters, Alex and his best friend, Bedders (Dean Chaumoo), are so heart-warming.
Alex and Bedders do not have easy lives, but they are so brave, kind, and smart, for being children, that they represent how the future is always in good hands. Every rising generation holds an undeniable brilliance, and gains an expanded awareness, from previous generations, that our history and legends need to be written better. As a species, humanity must not only aim for truth, but aim to make goodness/ kindness its truth. As you watch Alex turn his bullies into knights and learn to trust the magic of the hilarious, hand clapping Merlin (Angus Imrie), kids will be cheering and adults will be loving that a good person wins. The Kid Who Would Be King Comes Out In Cinemas On January 25.
