THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING
A heartwarming Arthur adventure with strong morals and troubling magic.
Should You Watch It?
This is a fun, heartwarming adventure with a lot to admire. Its young cast is terrific, the dialogue is witty, and the story gives children a meaningful challenge: become honest, courageous, kind, loyal, and willing to do the right thing. Former enemies learn to become friends, and the movie’s redemptive messages are genuinely encouraging.
The concern is not hidden. Sorcery comes from both the heroes and the villain, and the movie includes moderate action violence involving fiery skeletons, a grotesque dragon, and children in real danger. The PG rating should not be taken as a signal that this is suitable for very young viewers.
If your family has older children who can thoughtfully handle magical elements and adventure peril, this is worth seeing; for young children, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAlex is a bullied boy living in modern-day London. When he pulls a sword from a stone at a construction site, he discovers that it is Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur.
With his friend Bedders and two school bullies, Alex must learn what it means to be noble and unite people. Guided by a magical wizard named Merlin, the children face a threat that could enslave humanity.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is an excellent family adventure, with only the content concerns keeping it from being an uncomplicated recommendation.
The film is charming and creative, with witty dialogue, a fast-paced plot, and nearly perfect emotional beats. The young cast, led by Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Alex, is terrific. Bedders provides much of the movie’s awkward humor and emotional heart, while the growing danger leads to an exciting and humorous battle between sword-wielding children and flaming skeletons.
The Worldview
The film’s worldview is predominantly moral and redemptive. It celebrates honesty, courage, kindness, chivalry, loyalty, and doing the right thing. Alex and his friends must learn a code of chivalry, though the movie presents that code as kindness, truthfulness, and courage rather than connecting it to faith and service to God.
The heroes also learn to love their enemies. The villain is greedy and seeks to destroy the children’s faith in themselves by exploiting their weaknesses. The movie’s strongest message is that worthiness does not come from family lineage or greatness. A person becomes worthy by being noble and uniting people instead of dividing them.
The mixed element is sorcery. Both the villain and the heroes use occult magic, and Bedders learns magic from Merlin. The film does not explain the source of this magic, though it calls it sorcery. There are also two exclamations of “Thank God,” one of which is clearly a prayer.
The film’s longing for courage and goodness aligns with Scripture’s call to act in love: “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Very strong moral worldview about honesty, courage, kindness, chivalry, loyalty, and doing the right thing, with some redemptive, faith-based elements, including two exclamations of “Thank God” (one is clearly a prayer), but with strong and light occult magic throughout by both the villain and the heroes
Foul Language
Seven light profanities (OMG), and two light obscenities
Violence
Moderate adventure violence, with child characters in peril throughout, fighting fiery skeletons with swords, children battle a grotesque dragon and try to stab it, and a big battle occurs at the end between children and the evil creatures
Sex
No sexual content
Nudity
Implied male nakedness, with upper male nudity, and brief, partly obscured rear male nudity
Alcohol Use
No drinking, but a reference to a father being a alcoholic
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drug use;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Child directly disobeys his mother, and a father abandoned his family.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Alex learns that nobility is shown by uniting people rather than dividing them. Where can you choose unity, kindness, and courage this week?
Romans 12:18 · 1 Corinthians 16:14The children learn to love former enemies. What does Jesus command about loving those who oppose us?
Matthew 5:44 · Romans 12:20–21The movie presents magic as something both heroes and villains use. How can your family distinguish courage and goodness from practices Scripture forbids?
Deuteronomy 18:10–12 · Philippians 4:8Alex must choose whether to do the right thing when he is afraid. What helps you obey God and act courageously?
Joshua 1:9 · Micah 6:8The Final Word
This is a charming, creative, and genuinely moral adventure. Its magic and violence call for discernment, and the PG rating does not make it suitable for young children. For older children and adults who can handle those elements, WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
