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The Kid Who Would Be King

The Kid Who Would Be King

Action · Adventure · Fantasy · 2019

Old-school magic meets the modern world when young Alex stumbles upon the mythical sword Excalibur. He soon unites his friends and enemies, and they become knights who join forces with the legendary wizard Merlin. Together, they must save mankind from the wicked enchantress Morgana and her army of supernatural warriors.

Movie details

The Kid Who Would Be King

“An army to fight. A demon to slay. A world to save. No pressure.”

2019 Action · Adventure · Fantasy 2h 0m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

Old-school magic meets the modern world when young Alex stumbles upon the mythical sword Excalibur. He soon unites his friends and enemies, and they become knights who join forces with the legendary wizard Merlin. Together, they must save mankind from the wicked enchantress Morgana and her army of supernatural warriors.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Kid Who Would Be King?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Pan

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Fantasy · 2015

Living a bleak existence at a London orphanage, 12-year-old Peter finds himself whisked away to the fantastical world of Neverland. Adventure awaits as he meets new friend James Hook and the warrior Tiger Lily. They must band together to save Neverland from the ruthless pirate Blackbeard. Along the way, the rebellious and mischievous boy discovers his true destiny, becoming the hero forever known as Peter Pan.

Warcraft

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Action · 2016

The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people, and their home.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny

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A story of lost love, young love, a legendary sword and one last opportunity at redemption.

Mythica: The Necromancer

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Fantasy · 2015

The young wizard Marek is forced to lead her band of would-be heroes on a mission for the corrupt Thieves Guild, which has taken her friend hostage. Their journey will take them straight into the wicked clutches of Szorlok, their greatest enemy.

Mythica: The Godslayer

Mythica: The Godslayer

Adventure · 2016

As the Lich King's zombie legions ravage the world, a cursed young sorceress embarks on a quest to obtain a weapon from the gods. But when she joins her sworn enemy in a desperate attempt to save the world, she must recover the good in herself before her friends are all dead, and defeat the Lich King before the gods are destroyed and the world forever enslaved.

The Forbidden Kingdom

The Forbidden Kingdom

Action · 2008

An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself travelling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.

The Secret Kingdom

The Secret Kingdom

Adventure · 2023

Verity and Peter’s trip to the old family mansion takes a turn when the floor of their room suddenly gives way and they fall into an underground chamber where they are met by a civilization of creatures. The leader tells them that Peter's arrival was foretold as he’s the one who can use Great Clock of the Citadel to restart time and destroy the Shroud, a malevolent creature who feeds on fear itself...

Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz the Great and Powerful

Fantasy · 2013

Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus illusionist and con-artist, is whisked from Kansas to the Land of Oz where the inhabitants assume he's the great wizard of prophecy, there to save Oz from the clutches of evil.

Damsel

Damsel

Fantasy · 2024

A young woman's marriage to a charming prince turns into a fierce fight for survival when she's offered up as a sacrifice to a fire-breathing dragon.

Jack the Giant Killer

Jack the Giant Killer

Adventure · 1962

The terrible and trecherous Pendragon plans to gain the throne of Cornwall by getting the king to abdicate and to marry his lovely daughter. To help him he has his dreadful witches in his castle and his almost unstoppable sorcery. A giant under his control abducts the princess, but on the way home with her the giant meets farming lad Jack who slays him. This is only the beginning.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Joe Cornish

Written by

Joe Cornish

Louis Ashbourne Serkis

Louis Ashbourne Serkis

Alexander "Alex" Elliot

Dean Chaumoo

Dean Chaumoo

Bedders

Tom Taylor

Tom Taylor

Lance

Rhianna Dorris

Rhianna Dorris

Kaye

Denise Gough

Denise Gough

Mrs. Elliot

Angus Imrie

Angus Imrie

Merlin

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart

Old Merlin

Court is in session

Put The Kid Who Would Be King on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Popcorn Loyalist

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.