The Arthurian legend gets an inventive updating in this
thrilling adventure that casts schoolchildren as latter-day Knights of the
Round Table, destined to save the world. A 12-year-old boy (Louis Ashbourne
Serkis) finds a sword stuck in a pile of rubble and pulls it out, unaware that
the mythical Excalibur is now in his grasp, making him the new “king.” The
fabled wizard Merlin, a shapeshifter (Angus Imrie in one guise, Patrick Stewart
in another), promptly appears and warns that an army must be raised since the
lad’s success with the storied weapon has brought about the resurrection of the
evil Morgana le Fay (Rebecca Ferguson). Three schoolmates (Dean Chaumoo, Tom
Taylor, Rhianna Dorris) agree to join the quest. Writer-director Joe Cornish
serves up that treasured Hollywood rarity: an entertaining, family-friendly
film that skillfully blends in strong messages, in this case about truth,
justice and caring for others.
Watch out for: Potentially
scary fantasy violence and two mild oaths.
Rated: A-II, adults and
adolescents; MPAA: PG
© Arlington Catholic Herald 2019