As films that are inspired by the legend of King Arthur go, this is one of the better ones.
Rather than retelling the story badly (such as 2017’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword), this version stays true to the idealistic folk tale, and tweaks it to suit a modern setting.
Through the main character’s journey, we are reminded why the Arthurian legend is still so popular and romanticised, and why sometimes the most unlikely people make the best heroes.
The story revolves around Alex (Serkis, the talented son of Andy Serkis), a 12-year-old who lives with his single mother.
He, along with best pal Bedders (Chaumoo), are the targets of bullies Lance (Tom Taylor) and Kaye (Rhianna Dorris).
One night, after escaping from Lance and Kaye, Alex spots a sword stuck in a slab of concrete.
Curious, he pulls it out and, with help from Bedders and a search engine, discovers that it is King Arthur’s magic sword Excalibur.
This, of course, sets off a chain of mysterious events.
The ancient magician Merlin (Imrie) shows up at Alex’s school in the guise of a 16-year-old boy and tries (very unsuccessfully) to blend in in order to befriend a very reluctant Alex.
Far beneath the earth, Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) awakes to continue her quest to rule the world, and sends her fiery knights to hunt the person who now holds Excalibur.
When Merlin tells Alex that they have only days to stop Morgana’s reign of terror, Alex recruits Bedders, as well as enemies Lance and Kaye, to be his knights.
Along the way, they must also deal with their own issues and each other in order to succeed.
The story has a lot of references to how bad things are in the world today, and why chivalry and honour are still important.
Look out for an homage to the classic Excalibur (1981), another film about the legend of King Arthur, and for Patrick Stewart, who makes several funny cameos as the ‘real’ Merlin whenever his younger version sneezes.
All in, it is a fun film, and Alex is a likable hero you would want to root for.
