'The Kid Who Would Be King' Review

Sorry for the delay on this review as I've been busy with schoolwork and rebranding the site. In fact, I've just recently finished updating the blog for the time being if you'd like to scroll and click around. If you now go to the "Movie Reviews" tab on the right side, you'll see newly designed banners with the brand new Film Assessment logo and the corresponding grade for ALL the films I've reviewed (my earliest reviews don't have grades though). Click on any of those banner images or the blue text above them, and you'll be whisked away to that review. 

In other news, this will be the first review in which I incorporate something new that I'll be including from now one. It's been recommended to me by some parents that I should mention somewhere how appropriate the respective film is for children, etc. The way I've chosen to address that is by adding supplemental information at the beginning of my reviews. I'll include a synopsis, the runtime, the MPAA rating (and why it's rated as such), and a sentence or two about who I feel should/could watch the film. I hope everyone appreciates these changes, but if you don't, you can always skip over that information and dive straight into the review! Also, let me know if you have any recommendations for other things you'd like me to incorporate into my reviews. I'll happily take your idea into consideration.

'The Kid Who Would Be King' Review

Synopsis: Old school magic meets the modern world when young Alex stumbles upon the mythical sword Excalibur. He soon unites his friend and enemies, and they become knights who join forces with the legendary wizard Merlin. Together, they must save mankind from the wicked enchantress Morgana and her army of supernatural warriors.

Runtime: 120 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for fantasy action violence, scary images, thematic elements including bullying, and language)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages, but young children may be scared by the undead army and Morgana.

Written and directed by Joe Cornish, The Kid Who Would Be King serves as the follow-up to Cornish's feature debut and cult classic Attack the Block. In his second feature, Cornish seeks to put his own spin on a familiar fantasy epic and modernize Arthurian legend for the Brexit generation. While audiences may have seen other modern interpretations of medieval mythology, The Kid Who Would Be King sets itself apart with a wholesome, imaginative approach. All the crucial components of the King Arthur story are present while Cornish also seizes his chance to playfully blend the contemporary setting with magic, medieval weaponry, and so much more! Much of the film's charm stems from Cornish's eccentric approach to visualizing magic. For example, in order for Merlin to conjure a spell, he must perform a series of elaborate hand gestures, claps, and snaps. It's quite silly but utterly hysterical to watch.

Underneath the wacky shenanigans, Cornish's script incorporates plenty of heart and worthwhile lessons for younger audience members though. At its core, The Kid Who Would Be King offers a mature message about facing the harsh truths of reality. The story's admittedly simplistic and often abides by the beat-for-beat hero's journey, but the dialogue demonstrates a self-awareness by referring to Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Star Wars as prime examples and inspirations. Fortunately, none of the by-the-books storytelling detracts from the film's spirited sense of adventure.

The visual effects can be a bit rough at times, but considering the feature's modest-budgeting, there's at least a consistency to the CGI which compensates for any short-comings. On the bright side, the action scenes are exciting and well-executed. Before I continue, other acknowledgments I'd like to make include praising Bill Pope's polished cinematography, the quaint costuming, personable production design, and a heroic score by Electric Wave Bureau. 

Front and center, the young ensemble amassed by Cornish and his casting department quickly demonstrate their potential as promising up-and-comers. Louis Ashbourne Serkis, son of the motion-capture king Andy Serkis, depicts Alex as equally brave and insecure. Serkis walks the fine line of being a confident hero and an unsure leader when he rallies his knights, exhibiting impressive emotional vulnerability for his age. As Alex's mother, Denise Gough also does a fine job of lending him wisdom and emotional support. Meanwhile, the role of Merlin is shared between the relatively unknown Angus Imrie and veteran actor Patrick Stewart. Stewart only shows up for a few scenes, so Imrie takes ownership of the character's quirky sensibilities which helps sell the inherent silliness of everything. Rounding out the cast as Alex's charming compatriots are Dean Chaumoo, Rhianna Dorris, and Tom Taylor. 

Lastly, Rebecca Ferguson is stuck in the one-dimensional role of the villainess Morgana. Due to minimal screen time and the enchantress' superficial motivations of world domination, Ferguson's Morgana isn't all that impressionable. She's creepy looking on account of the makeup and flurry of dead tree limbs surrounding her, but in actuality, Morgana's not all that menacing since she merely sends minions to do her bidding for the first two-thirds. Fleshing her role out with more compelling motivations and a personality would have greatly enhanced the overall narrative. 

All in all, The Kid Who Would Be King reigns as a fitting family-friendly option which ought to be ruling the box office right now. Unfortunately, the film's fallen on its sword with a rough journey at the multiplex thus far. I'd advise giving the young ruler a hand by pledging fealty with a trip to the theater when you next get the chance.

Film Assessment: B

'The Dark Tower' Review

In The Dark Tower, opening text informs the viewer that a Dark Tower exists at the center of our universe, holding everything together and shielding all worlds from persisting, external dark forces. The viewer is also told that it's believed the mind of child is powerful enough to bring the tower down. Walter O' Dim, the Man in Black, seeks to destroy the tower and unleash evil upon the universe, while the Gunslingers, an order of warriors brandishing .45 revolvers, are pledged to defend the tower with their dying breaths. Unfortunately the Gunslingers are mostly gone, so the lone surviving Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, remains locked in an eternal struggle with the Man in Black in hopes he can prevent Walter from demolishing the Dark Tower. 

All the while, the Man in Black has been kidnapping children to power a super-weapon he hopes can topple the Dark Tower, but none of the children's minds are powerful enough. However, Jake Chambers begins seeing glimpses of the Tower, the Gunslinger, and the Man in Black in his dreams, so the Man in Black sends his cronies after Jake in hopes he could be the one to decimate the Dark Tower. Jake, intent on learning the truth behind his visions, journeys to Roland's world and the two team up to take down the Man in Black once and for all. 

That may be the longest plot synopsis I've ever devised, because the mythology and world-building Stephen King's novel simply can't be condensed. Unfortunately, the director and team of screenwriters behind this movie never got that memo. For those who didn't know, The Dark Tower adapts a series Stephen King's novels. Yes, I said SERIES. The Dark Tower draws inspiration from not one, but EIGHT different books. While I have not had the pleasure of reading any of these, the friend who I brought to the screening had at least read The Gunslinger and he said the movie was VERY different from the book. Therefore, I feel this film will be quite divisive and receive plenty of hatred from fans of the source material, and you only have to look at the Rotten Tomatoes score for an indication of it (currently at 18%).

However, I'll come to this movie's aid and say I didn't think The Dark Tower was THAT bad (yet another example of the unjust implications of the Tomato-meter). Director Nikolaj Arcel and his stunt coordinators were at least able to put together some entertaining action sequences showcasing the Gunslinger's impeccable accuracy, and while the visual effects aren't the greatest, they're forgivable when you see the meager budget the filmmakers had at their disposal. Even though the Dark Tower supposedly holds the universe together, the film itself doesn't have a solid foundation. 

There's some serious pacing problems as it took awhile to get things going and the script was rather weak. Arcel had a hand in the screenplay alongside Akiva Goldsoman, Jeff Pinkner, and Anders Thomas Jensen, but the story concocted can't help but feel underdeveloped. The worlds in The Dark Tower are supposed to feel epic and expansive, but the lacking explanation will leave non-readers a bit confused. We understand who's good, who's bad, and their basic motivations, but beyond that the audience never gets to really know any of the characters. The points that are actually established end up biting the bullet, because they're comfortably conventional.

It's also worth noting that The Dark Tower is yet another attempt to get a franchise off the ground. Just yesterday, news surfaced that The Dark Tower television series had set Glenn Mazzara as the series showrunner and the film's advertising has also relied heavily on teasing the possibilities of a shared Stephen King cinematic universe. I'm not necessarily against these ideas, but am simply curious if Sony's invested the time in properly planning it all out before seemingly jumping headfirst into the franchise field. Studios no longer wait to judge a movie's critical reception before investing heavily in them. Instead, they go ahead and announce all the inevitable details. There's rarely much thought put into franchise filmmaking these days and I personally find that a tad disheartening. 

Despite The Dark Tower's story shortcomings, the lead actors consistently managed to elevate the proceedings. Tom Taylor proved to be a perfectly adequate child actor, considering he displays an exceptional emotional range. Taylor's not exactly in the league of the young talent to emerge of late, but he's never overshadowed by his experienced costars either. Idris Elba, on the other hand, can really do no wrong as he deftly wields western weaponry with the aim of John Wick. Elba carries the attitude of an outlaw haunted by the horrors of his past, trudging through the thick of everything. Once Jake and Roland return to New York, there's a fish-out-of-water element that gets some mileage from their onscreen chemistry.

On the flip side, Matthew McConaughey summons enough gusto to grant the Man in Black a dastardly demeanor. McConaughey's calm, collected speech comes across as really creepy in the manner utilized and he confidently comes across as the intimidating, unstoppable force the movie's trying to sell you on. I can guarantee those Lincoln commercials won't come to mind while he graces the screen. Sadly, the other actors don't leave much of an impression since they mostly embody stock characters that are given much to say-or-do. 

While I'd love to say The Dark Tower stood strong amidst adversity, I can't quite offer that vote of confidence. The foundation's sloppy and it's only help up by the terrific trio of leads and a some select, rousing action scenes. The Dark Tower would be an adequate experience at the theater, but it doesn't demand to be seen in theaters. There are so many better alternatives still out there such as Baby Driver, The Big Sick, Spider-Man: Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes, and Dunkirk. If you're really gung-ho on seeing The Dark Tower, go ahead and check it out at a matinee showing. Otherwise, I'd wait it out to rent or catch on cable. 

Film Assessment: C+