Alex, le destin d'un roi

Well January in film has pretty much come and gone and I have to say that I'm surprised that I've enjoyed most of the films that have come out this year thus far. Wasn't really looking forward to this film that was a child friendly rendition of a modern day King Arthur but I gave it a go. Its really dumb at times as expected but is entertaining enough to warrant its own existence. I do hope to not have any more film adaptation of Arthurian legend for a while though.

The film is about a kid named Alexander who one day stumbles on the legendary Excalibur sword. This event unleashes Morgana, an enchantress who is looking to gain access to the sword. To stop her and her soldiers, Alexander enlists the help of an unlikely trio while receiving aid and guidance from the ancient wizard, Merlin. The film stars the son of Andy Serkis and the always gorgeous Rebecca Ferguson (except not when she transforms in this film).

The running length of this film is too long especially for a children's movie. These types of films should clock in at a max of an hour and a half. The effects of the film were pretty decent and the characters were good enough to keep you watching their plight. Its a modern day re-imaging of the successor to the sword and the stone which I find the younger crowd could really enjoy.

There isn't a whole lot of good or bad in this film, it meets its mark in the middle. Its an introduction to Louis Ashbourne Serkis, who I am sure we will see more of in the future. Also, its a chance to see Rebecca Ferguson who really needs to be in more things because she's super great. Overall, don't expect anything more than what the trailers show you but its a perfectly fine film that will go over well with the younger viewers.

6.5/10

I thought this movie was great for the kiddos, and was entertaining enough to watch with them. Probably a pass for the theater, but a fun movie night at home, this is perfect.

This movie is surprisingly good for kids the right age. My girls, 7 and 9 loved it.

It's a modern Arthurian tale, so set in the UK with all the adventure movie cliches you might expect which is no bad thing. I'm really surprised by some of the lower-scoring reviews. This movie is formulaic and predictable but it really isn't intended to keep a 44 year old man like me on the edge of his seat.

For it's target audience - kids - it's awesome.

The visual effects were far better than expected for what I thought was a low budget movie (it's $60m) and having Patrick Stewart to bolster the cast as the old Merlin helped too.

There's enough humor and pace along the way stopping it from feeling stuffy and too serious which keeps it light and positive.

Best family movie in ages :)

I didn't know if it were possible to get kids' films like this anymore. It was great fun from start to finish, it's (possibly) about 15 minutes too long (the middle section drags a tiny bit), but it's so enjoyable and there are excellent quips throughout. My kids went away quoting the jokes from the film, and that must be a good sign.

I read another review that director Joe Cornish was a big fan of Time Bandits Terry Gilliam's 1981 fantasy movie. Both have strong leads, slightly oblique plots, together with wizardry and magic

Time Bandits had Sean Connery, The Kid Who Would Be King has Patrick Stewart who puts in a sterling alternating performance (with Angus Imrie) as Merlin.

Louis Ashbourne Serkis is fabulous as Alex the main protagonist. He's got an acting pedigree (both his parents, Andy Serkis and Lorraine Ashbourne) are excellent actors. His Dad is best known for his portrayal of Gollum...fancy having a Dad who was Gollum?!

Anyway, TKWWBK is terrific. As a teenager I loved Excalibur but it's too long (and dark) for my 10 and 11 year olds. This was a perfect antidote. Arthurian Legend and heraldry but without (too much) bloodthirstiness.

Go and see it, it's the best film (whether aimed at children or adults) I've seen for months and months.

First of all, the musical score, which is composed by Christophe Beck and Electric Wave Bureau, was incredible. You could just listen to the score and understand what is going on in the film at that point in time. It helped to understand what was going on in the scenes and what you should feel in that moment. The scenery in this film looked well done and you could tell a lot of detail went into them. At certain times in the film, the CGI and special effects were decent to look at but for a majority of the film, it looked like the special effects department was rushed to get something done. The transitions in this film were awkward and made no sense. At some points, it would feel like the scene had more in it but they had to cut out something to get to a shorter run time. Now, I understand that a majority of the actors are kids and I believe they all can go far in the future is just their acting in this film was really bland. There was very little to no emotion given in any scene from the four main characters. There was only one actor who actually showed emotion and that was Angus Imrie, who plays young Merlin. His character was weird and outgoing and he was probably one of my only favourite things in this film. Although at some parts he probably should have toned his acting down a notch. The villain in this film was just bad and made no sense. I think if they had a longer run time this film could have fixed any of the flaws the had. The last thing I want to mention is how this film relies on certain things to happen and if one of those things didn't happen the entire film wouldn't happen. In the end, this film is a good time for younger kids but not for the whole family.