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The Kid Who Would Be King

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02:25

The Kid Who Would Be King

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• Adventure
• Family

• 2018
• Joe Cornish
• 115 mins
• PG

Summary

Fantasy adventure starring Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Rebecca Ferguson and Patrick Stewart. Schoolboy Alex happens upon the ancient sword Excalibur, but in the process awakens the evil sorceress Morgana. With the help of his friends and the advice of wizard Merlin, Alex has just four days to save the world from Morgana's clutches.

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Trevor Johnston

A bullied schoolboy at a London comprehensive discovers he's the heir to King Arthur and must save the land from the powers of darkness in this child-friendly adventure. The Sword in the Stone, the Lady in the Lake and the Knights of the Round Table share screen space with mobile phones and chicken nuggets in writer/director Joe Cornish's jolly blend of ancient and modern, with Patrick Stewart and Mission: Impossible's Rebecca Ferguson as eternal adversaries Merlin and sorceress Morgana Le Fay. At its heart, though, is Alex, who must overcome trouble in the classroom and at home, and is brought to life by Louis Ashbourne Serkis (son of Andy), a sunny presence throughout as an unlikely chivalric hero. However, the film's irrepressible wit proves a much stronger suit than its action set pieces, since the CGI baddies huff and puff without manifesting too much of a threat. Still, the story's upbeat spirit and faith in the goodness of young people prove something of a tonic, and if the movie's skewed towards the younger set, parents may well be relieved by the relatively mild levels of carnage on display.

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6.1/10

How to watch

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Streaming

• Disney+
• Sky Store

Credits

Cast

rolenameAlexLouis Ashbourne SerkisMorganaRebecca FergusonOld MerlinPatrick StewartLanceTom Taylor (3)BeddersDean ChaumooKayeRhianna DorisYoung MerlinAngus ImrieMaryDenise GoughMr KeplerNathan Stewart-JarrettMr BoyleNick Mohammed

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Crew

rolenameDirectorJoe Cornish

Details

Theatrical distributor

20th Century Fox

Released on

2019-02-15

Languages

English

Guidance

some violence

Available on

DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Colour

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