‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ is charming

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Despite the title, this is not a prequel to “The Man Who Would Be King” (1975). It is simply a playful reference to the British classic. This family adventure is a modern-day salute to the legend of King Arthur’s sword and stone, but not since “The Goonies” (1985) have we seen such an imaginative, exhilarating and heartfelt escapade.

This charming story features a collection of misfits dealing with old school magic in the modern world. Written and directed by Joe Cornish (“Ant-Man”), the message of truth, honor and common decency is old as time but more timely and crucial than ever before. These kids step up to a challenge that today’s world leaders are failing miserably.

Louis Ashbourne Serkis (son of Andy Serkis) stars as Alex, an ordinary middle schooler raised by a single mother. He and best friend Bedders (Dean Chaumoo) are bullied mercilessly. When Alex stumbles upon the mythical sword in the stone, Excalibur, he notices something written on it. He tells Bedders, “Put it into Google Translate.”

Not sure what they have discovered, Alex studies up on the legend. Comparing today’s world leaders who have little regard for the truth and display little compassion or respect for those that disagree, he learns that Arthur had a pure heart and led by chivalric code to make allies of his enemies. He created a round table so all would be treated equally.

There are important themes, but this bloodless action adventure is surprisingly clever and a lot of fun for kids and adults alike. As Merlin the sorcerer, the wild-haired Patrick Stewart is delightfully wacky; reminiscent of Christopher Lloyd in “Back to the Future (1985). Meanwhile, Angus Imrie (son of actress Celia Imrie) is just as quirky playing the teen version of Merlin, with bizarre body language and protracted hand gyrations.

The talented Rebecca Ferguson co-stars as the evil enchantress Morgana, but doesn’t really come across all that terrifying or threatening. Maybe its best, as the action is not overly intense or too scary for the younger viewer. However, Cornish respects the intelligence of his young audience by delivering a simple action adventure with good clean fun that is smarter than the violent pabulum typically thrown at this age group.

Despite the theatrical bloodline of two of the child stars, the kids seem to have been cast from the local schoolyards, rather than America’s Got Talent. What works most is their vulnerability, camaraderie and credible capacity to rise to the occasion. It’s a modern day fantasy that charms its way into the hearts of its audience.

Not sure if it was intentional, but as Alex, the kid who would be king, Serkis carries a similar look and personality as Sean Astin in Goonies, less the inhaler. When he needs to make it happen, he leaves a note for his mom, “Gone to save Britain.” Hopefully, he’ll find his long lost father, join forces and defeat the enemy. Merlin explains, “The walk worth walking is seldom the easiest.”

All Alex needs to do is unite his friends, his enemies and the entire student body into a band of knights. With their future at stake, the once and future king must become the great leader he never even dreamed he could be. Armed with Excalibur, his most effective weapons are integrity, decency and honor. One student disagrees with a blast of typical cynicism, “That’s not the way of the world.”

“The Kid Who Would Be King” is two hours and rated PG for fantasy action violence, scary images and thematic elements including bullying and language. The action is energetic and moves quickly. The series of smaller adventures transition seamlessly from one to the next, so is almost no lag in the entertaining storyline.

Sure, this is a corny movie, but the kids give adults some hope for the future with an important message. We can all right the unrightable wrong, no matter how hopeless, and reach for the unreachable star. Oops, that’s another story, but you get the idea. Just glad they didn’t feature the heaviest knight at the roundtable: Sir Cumference; too much pi. Ugh!

Ron’s Rating: A- Leigh’s Rating: B+