Arthur the King
★★★
“Runners run,” is a phrase that comes up often in Arthur the King. I like to consider myself a runner. Though I have never, nor will ever be considered an athlete, I enjoy how it forces me to be outdoors and challenges me to get from point A to point B without stopping. I try to run at least two half marathons a year, and at my age, body type and busy schedule, it can be difficult to find the time to train enough to make it across the finish line without killing myself. Then, there’s a movie like Arthur the King that comes along and reminds me how puny my feats have been compared to the grueling elements that the adventure racers in this story endure. I say all of this in jest, but the unbelievability of what these racers willingly put themselves through is inspiring and totally mind-blowingly insane at the same time. Add a battered dog who won’t quit into the mix, and you have yourself a movie that is bound to tug on your heartstrings in one way or another.
Based on true events, this film follows professional adventure racer Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) and his team (Simu Lu, Juliet Rylance, Ali Suliman) during a ten-day, 435-mile journey. Along the way, Michael forms an indomitable connection with Arthur, a resilient street dog companion. Pushed to their limits in the race, Arthur reshapes the notions of victory, loyalty and true friendship for the team.
It’s not hard to find inspirational stories in the movie landscape, but this one is a little more unique in combining adventure, sport and an animal into one. Surely, one of those categories will connect with somebody on some level, so this movie is tailor-made to appeal to a broad audience. I was particularly swept away by the beautiful landscapes that director Simon Cellan Jones takes us through, and overall, I thought the story educated us on this peculiar race without getting into the gritty details. Almost so much so, that it underserves how difficult a race like this can be. But when you are as good-looking as these competitors, anything can be accomplished, right?
Yes, this story leans into a lot of clichés (the uber-supportive wife who’s left at home who tracks the race for us, a literal voiceover from Bear Grylls telling us exactly how to feel, injuries that are quickly overcome), but I ultimately was won over by how everything comes together at the end. Some instances are unintentionally funny, and overall you can predict what’s going to happen, but the spirit is in the right place and ultimately crushed some of my cynicism. If anything, there is a particular stunt sequence involving a zipline that is worth the price of admission. I’m still trying to figure out how they accomplished it.
Arthur the King is rated PG-13 for moments of strong language. If you are particularly sensitive to scenes of medical treatment, some moments might make you squeamish, but it’s all handled very delicately. It’s a film that is made to appeal to all audiences and for that, it takes some shortcuts that made me wish they stayed in the mud a bit more. But overall, audiences will be leaving the theater with smiles on their faces. This film exists so you don’t have to run a race yourself to understand the power of perseverance and devotion.
