The Kid Who Would Be King

This is a really great film, with a strong story line and great characters. The two main boys are really engaging and likeable, and there are very positive messages on the subjects of bullying, redemption, parental love, parental flaws etc. It has mystery and magic, and moves along at a fast pace. Would highly recommend for kids aged 8+.

Took my grandchildren to see this at the odeon, they loved it me too. It's a surprising film, funny in parts, the usual bullies and two amazing boys. Mertin is a wonderful character, it really is enjoyable

The story of King Arthur has been around for a long time. And like all legends has, as a result, been rewritten down the ages The storytellers of each generation putting their own take on things. Here's a movie that does just that, telling the Arthurian myths against a present day Britain setting. Credit to the film from the off, because it really does feel like it gets the setting right. No made up product names here. All the shops and newspapers are the real things. It's a film that's pretty much suitable for all ages, but the complexity of the plot might be too much for the very young. Ditto the monsters involved, so it's probably best for those aged eight and up. It is a good enough film that parents can get into it and enjoy it as well. Alex is just an ordinary boy. Living with his mother. He has one good friend. And he will stand up for the latter against the school bullies. He's decent and honest and brave. All the old virtues. When he happens to find the sword Excalibur, he finds a destiny awaits him. As does a quest to turn enemies into allies, because evil is arising... They don't make them like this anymore, so it's nice that someone has tried to. And it succeeds. It's a film for all those, of whatever age, who haven't let go of the wonders of childhood, and the delight in stories. Those that some grow out of as adulthood and the resulting cynicism of getting worn down by reality brings. The cast are great. In particular Louis Ashbourne Serkis who delivers a commanding performance in the lead. And Angus Imrie, who really gets into the role of Young Merlin. The narrative does deliver a rousing adventure, with all involved undergoing great character journeys on the way. It's just a little too long in the middle though, where it could do with faster pacing. Perhaps as a result the final set piece battle didn't really grab my attention as much as it could have. That's all that stops it being a five star release though, because it is entertaining and well done and does succeed at what it sets out to do. So for kids, over eight or those who still are at heart, it's a nice watch. Be aware though it does feature Patrick Stewart with a full head of hair. You just never quite get used to it. The dvd begins with an anti piracy ad, which can be skipped via the next button on the remote. You then get into the main menu. Language and subtitle options are: Languages: English. Subtitles: English. There's a decent batch of extras: Deleted scenes; five minutes worth of these. Four scenes in total. They can only be watched in order. All are character moments, which is usually the first thing to get cut in a film. But they're all pretty good. Origins of a King. An eleven minute long overview of the film. Features like these can be a bit perfunctory at times, but the length and depth of this one makes it a good watch. Young Knights; eleven mins about the actors and their work and the characters. Not quite as good as the above, but not bad. Hair and makeup tests: three mins of the lead actors doing these. Mostly them dancing in the process. Interesting to see how it's done, but not essential viewing. Merlin's magic. Four brief ad/trailers for the film, with Merlin demonstrating magic clips. Most of them use the same clips from the movie, but there is some variety in the tricks. Three and four are a fun watch.

A superb adventure, both charming and funny. Really enjoyed it.

Great value for money and totally brand new, Quality product.

My son loves this movie

I did like this film quite a lot but did not love it, some of the casting decisions seemed odd but eventually seemed to work out, I did like taking the bullies and making them heroic by the end although it was much better that the turnaround took time and did not happen immediately. I liked the chemistry between Alex and Bedders they definitely seemed like good friends who had known each other a long time, and they were helped by the bullies being good bad guys with Kaye & Lance also being relatable and having good chemistry and Lance struggling with being good while Kaye was better at it also rang true. Young Merlin provided both comedic moments and some moments of genuine sadness and I would have liked to see more of him and the same can be said of Morgana who featured a lot but was rarely seen as Morgana. The plot had to be far fetched and suspend disbelief and it manages this with a well written story that although daft utterly fits the progression of the characters and although I think it could have been edited a little better and lost 10 or so minutes but otherwise it was a fun movie and I would not mind a sequel that expanded upon the Kid Who Would Be King.

Bought as a Christmas present for my son aged 10. The whole family enjoyed it. Good story, well acted and all round enjoyable film.