Words Wal Reid
This movie was actually better than I was led to believe. It looked like another King Arthur rip off to satisfy the wannabe franchise executives. You know the drill, old -school magic meets the modern world when young Alex Elliot, well played by Ashbourne Serkis, yep you guessed it, the son of Andy Serkis of LOTR Gollum fame.
He with his friend mysteriously stumbles upon the mythical sword Excalibur in a London building site no less. It’s quite unbelievable, however I admit, the actors do bring to life an otherwise broken and redundant narrative.
Directed by English auteur Joe Cornish of black sci-fi Attack The Block fame, he also co-wrote The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn & Marvel’s Ant-Man, his feel for the Fantasy drama with his strong pedigree help gives the film a more darker feel, especially with the terrifying sorceress Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) and her troops. They hold their own in the ‘Horror” stakes giving our own LOTR Orcs a run for their money.
Alex soon joins forces with a band of knights (his friends) and the legendary wizard Merlin (played by Trekkie Patrick Stewart) when the wicked enchantress Morgana threatens the future of mankind. It’s a great watch that will have adults and kiddies clinging to their popcorn & ice creams for dear life. The special effects are as good or better as any Hollywood tripe that’s on offer, and, it’s got that all important ‘feel good’ feeling at the end.
It’s a long watch, over two hours in fact, but it’s a great ‘kidult’ adventure film that seems to be lacking of late in the Movie world and one, I feel deserves more credit than garnished. Serkis and Co do a solid job as ordinary kids who turn into Medieval Knights of the Round Table. Oh, also let me tell you ‘secret handshakes’ are old hat compared to Merlin’s cool hand gestures. Check it out, it will befuddle even the most astute mortals among us. Out now in cinemas.
