Arthur the King Review: A Lackluster Dog Sports Movie

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Film critic Jonathan Sim's review of Arthur the King, a dog sports movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Simu Liu.

is a sports adventure drama starring Mark Wahlberg as Michael Light. This true story follows Michael and his group of racers who compete in the Adventure Racing World Series. Along the way, they meet a dog who begins to follow them around. A bond forms between this team and a dog who has never had a home. This movie feels like what you’d get if you mixed your average sports movie with Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. If that seems like a strange combination, that’s because it is.

The pacing of Arthur the King feels very off. We see bits of Arthur throughout the first half hour, but he doesn’t meet Michael until about half an hour into the film. They barely even become friends until we’re halfway through the runtime of the movie. It’s strange how a movie called Arthur the King can feel so uninterested in its titular character. The majority of the film is a sports movie, and it actually works the least when that’s what it’s going for.

A few shot choices during this scene work. When Jones taps into a fear of heights, it works well. But ultimately, there aren’t enough emotional stakes here to complement the physical stakes. The things that drive the protagonist forward are not compelling. He’s going through this adventure race because he wants to be a winner. The storyline with his father is barely expanded upon. The characters always feel like they need a stronger reason to be out there going through this adventure race.

 

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