LIKES:
Great Pace
Fun Acting
Great Cinematography
Beautiful And Rigorous Setting
Music Elements Boost Emotion
Fantastic Dog Use
Writing Is Realistic
Decently Balanced Between Fiction and Fact
My likes boil down to great presentation of a story we've seen several times on the news with just that twist of unique flavor. Arthur the King caters well to the audience and brings an adorable story to life for just about every person to enjoy across the spectrum of emotions. A fantastically fun and family friendly tale that blends the Hollywood theatrics with a realistic base goes a long way to entertaining folks like me. The setting is gorgeous with camera work to capture the awe and delight of the island race that brings this cast together in ways that help mesh that authentic team/family role. Performances are fun, tight, and hold that Disney level feel, and the dog's inclusion adds even more character and an element that helps the laughs and the near-tears keep flowing. With the editing to further give those perfect shots and sounds, the movie excels in being one of those go see to feel better moments.
DISLIKES:
Cliché
Cutting Parts
Character Development is Mundane At Times
Mediocre Antagonists.
Predictable
Dislikes are going to be nitpicky and potentially illicit some negative responses, but that's kind of my job. Arthur the King will fall into the cliché role, something critics will find familiar, if not overdone, which leads to them feeling bored and listless. Such predictable antics are slightly off shot, but the trailers have laid the foundation for knowing how most of the story will go, meaning that the surprise element gets a tad diluted. Throw in editing that helps condense the five days into ninety minutes, and part of the adventure is taken away to give you quality of life and your time back. Characters have enough dissection to be engaging, but fall short of the perfect mix, choosing efficiency over meaty profiles. It's not the worst, but it could pack more punch like say Cool Runnings did. Even the antagonists need a little work, a little more connection and involvement to help establish the rivalry that they were going for. There are some other elements I can't say to avoid ruining the little mystery, but the movie being a bit simplistic and maintaining that family feel is going to drop scores for a pickier fanfare.
THE VERDICT
For me, Arthur the King was quite enjoyable and certainly a solid installment in the library of just having fun with a light-hearted story. An incredible dog that did so much with a remarkable team is a solid mixture of just simple enjoyment in a tale with all the elements of movie magic thrown in. Solid performance by all members (especially the dog) will tug at heart strings and athletic stature alike, with editing that brings much of the race's excitement out in spades. True there are some editing choices and character directions that need tweaking, and the movie is very by the numbers in terms of predictability. But outside of that, Arthur the King's story is certainly a tale worth watching, enjoying, and just embracing in the energy and inspiration it puts out in such a tight and fun package. So grab the kids and the family, and get to the theater for this one if you can.
My scores are:
Adventure: 7.5
Movie Overall: 7.0.
