‘Arthur The King’ Review – Pawsitively Entertaining

You may have trepidations about Arthur the King, an inspirational true story starring Mark Wahlberg. The trailer excessively lays its premise on thick. The story looks manipulative, which it can be. The plot of a mangy canine surviving a treacherous jungle race seems, well, pun intended, far-fetched. Yet, I was taken in by the lessons it teaches the viewer, the heartfelt message, and the rousing sports story the film unfolds.

Yes, I loved every dog-damn heart-tugging moment of it.

The story of Arthur the King follows Michael Light (Wahlberg), a professional adventure racer – yes, it is a thing – who retired from the sport no one had heard of or cared about. Michael, like an astronaut having trouble acclimating himself back down on earth, is not adjusting well to family life. His wife, Helena (Juliet Rylance), is a former racer but retired when they had their daughter. Now, he is helping sell homes for his father (Paul Guilfoyle), a successful real estate agent.

However, the call for competition and adventure still beckons Michael, who is having trouble shaking off the taste of his last race. He made a bad call and did not listen to his team. Those members include his wife, a weathered veteran of the sport with a bad knee, Chik (Ali Suliman), and the social media heartthrob, Liam (Simu Liu). Michael wanted to set the record instead of just doing enough to stay in the race to win. The result is that his team literally became stuck in the mud.

Helena encourages him to race one last time, so he puts together a team and secures corporate sponsorship. Since his wife can no longer race with their daughter to raise, Michael recruits a young and up-and-coming mountain climber (Nathalie Emmanuel) to take her place. Unbeknownst to Michael, while taking his team across the sweltering jungles of South America, an unkempt yet noble mutt follows them through the jungle, helping them to the finish line.

Arthur the King is a film directed by Simon Cellan Jones, and he learned a lesson this time after directing Wahlberg in the holiday Apple TV+ misfire, The Family Plan. That has to do with working with better source material and script. This film is written by 3:10 to Yuma scribe Michael Brandt, who adapted his script from excellent source material, Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home, a memoir written by Mikael Lindnord and Val Hudson.

The film has some usual sports cliches like Michael reaming out sponsors but still coming away with (partial) funding and a ragged team of, more pun intended, underdogs who no one thinks can win. Luckily, they (mostly) do away with the disapproving father angle. Even though Michael taking off and leaving his family at home seems (and it is) selfish, his wife supporting his dream is refreshing. This is primarily due to wanting to show their young daughter her father in his element.

Arthur the King is worth watching because it is engaging for families. The film teaches you a lot about this specific sport, including certain obstacles and the mental anguish and grueling physical nature of such an incredible competition.

You then have the makings of a great family film. That includes an excellent depiction of teamwork and how some things are even more important than victory. Then, when you return to that old trope, Michael’s top competition shows these athletes have respect for one another instead of becoming cartoonish villains.

However, that’s all beside the point. Arthur the King is a rousing sports film that takes the viewer through a grueling adventure to come back to the other side of what is important in life. You’ll find that this family film is “pawsitively” entertaining from start to finish.

Arthur the King will debut exclusively in theaters on March 15, 2024, courtesy of Lionsgate.