Review Rating:

A spectacle dedicated solely to the kids means that they will be easily entertained by what unfolds onscreen, especially if they’re never seen or heard of Excalibur.

Think of a world where ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Percy Jackson’, and ‘The Goonies’ meet the cast of ‘Stranger Things’, and you’re on your way to understanding what type of film this is exactly. ‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ is a story told by kids, for kids. And unfortunately, unlike a lot of what we’ve mentioned above, this movie will only be enjoyed by kids too. Forget thinking that you’ll come out of this one loving it – because you more than likely won’t. So strap yourself in for two hours of a re-hashed, modernised version of a well-known story, set in a secondary school in England. 

Nevertheless, ‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ is charming and fun, and an easy watch. The Knights of the Round Table, led by Andy Serkis’ (‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Black Panther’) talented son Louis Ashbourne Serkis, is a very likeable lead character in Alex. Patrick Stewart, who plays Merlin the wizard, appears all too briefly to really appreciate, with the character preferring to appear as his younger self (played by Angus Imrie) for most of the film. 

Patrick Stewart stars as Merlin the Wizard alongside Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Alex in The Kid Who Would Be King.

Given the source material we’re dealing with here, the need to appeal to the target audience increases tenfold – many young people might not be all that familiar with a tale from 5th Century Britain. Being set in the present day certainly helps matters, as well as including pop culture references, and demonic horses for a bit of jeopardy. There’s also the issue of Morgana (played by Rebecca Ferguson) for the children to face off against too – who is creepy, but not altogether not too much of a menace and shouldn’t pose too much of a terror for little ones. 

‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ is a story told by kids, for kids. And unfortunately, unlike a lot of what we’ve mentioned above, this movie will only be enjoyed by kids too.

A spectacle dedicated solely to the kids means that they will be easily entertained by what unfolds onscreen, especially if they’re never seen or heard of Excalibur, or seen any of the previous movies dedicated to the tale. Plenty on offer to children here, just don’t expect to fall in love with the movie yourself.