Arthurian legends have been around since the 15th century with the media industry depicting it through a variety of adaptations. The Kid Who Would Be King one is a little different, though. This film takes place in the 21st century, when a boy pulls Excalibur, the original sword in the ancient stone, out of a stone at a construction site.

A young boy named Alex  (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), and his classmates are the new Knights of the Round Table. Each main character having an Arthurian counterpart, Lance (Tom Taylor) as Sir Lancelot, Kaye (Rhianna Dorris) as Sir Kay, Bedders (Dean Chaumon) as Sir Bedivere, and lastly Alex as King Arthur.

These children have to face the end of the world at the hands of evil enchantress, Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), who swore to return when the world was at its weakest. Alex’s world is politically corrupt, leaderless and constantly on the edge of war.

With that in place, the movie shows strong messages about the youth being the future. Even though it takes place in England, the themes can apply to any country. They even go on to say that one must work with friend and foe to make the world a better place. This is displayed when bullies become best mates and kids become knights and kings.

Merlin (Angus Imrie and Patrick Stewart) as a character is hilarious; there was not a straight face in the theater as he performed his odd hand-clap magic. The special effects of him turning from a 16 year old to an old man to an owl are amazing. Morgana eventually turns into a giant, fire-breathing dragon, adding to the magic of the movie. The large special effects team have worked on other films like Captain America: The First Avenger, Ready Player One, Kingsmen: The Golden Circle, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The young actors did fantastic, portraying confused and contagious characters wonderfully. Serkis has had experience with other magical and fantastic films such as “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.”

This movie is  great for families, friends, and people who are still kids at heart. Viewers laughed and sat on the edge of their seats in suspense. The movie is all together inspiring and thrilling.