The Kid Who Would Be King

The throwback vibe extends beyond the source material in The Kid Who Would Be King, a fantasy adventure that thematically recalls wholesome sci-fi sagas from the 1980s such as The Goonies or The Neverending Story.

Yet such comparisons diminish once this contemporary re-imagining of the King Arthur legend from British director Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) loses its character-driven charm in a maze of effects-heavy mayhem.

After summarizing pretty much the entire Arthurian mythology in animated form prior to the opening credits, the film establishes its present-day setting in London, where Alexander (Louis Ashboune Serkis) is a 12-year-old social outcast still dealing with the mysterious disappearance of his father, who once gifted him a book about the Knights of the Round Table.

That proves handy once he manages to wrest a sword out of a broken concrete pier. Alex and his friend (Dean Chaumoo) quickly realize it’s Excalibur, with the help of shapeshifting wizard Merlin (Angus Imrie), who arrives as a teenager to help recruit Alex for his unlikely mission.

As it turns out, King Arthur left behind a vengeful half-sister named Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) who is due to re-emerge during an upcoming solar eclipse after centuries of being defeated and buried underground.

The film is an awkward mix of fantasy in the Harry Potter realm with 21st century coming-of-age clichés about bullying and single-parent families, with Cornish’s screenplay sprinkling in plenty of kid-friendly pop-culture references.

Youngsters might identify with the angst-ridden prepubescent protagonist, whose story provides easily digestible lessons of courage and resilience, chivalry and nobility. Serkis, son of actor-director Andy Serkis, brings a quirky and engaging authenticity to his debut lead performance.

Along the way, there are scattered moments of excitement and amusement — Merlin walks around in a vintage Led Zeppelin T-Shirt, for example. It’s more tedious and predictable for those outside the target demographic, although it might conjure some nostalgic smiles for those days of backyard make-believe when heroes and villains battled, imagining the future of the world in the balance.

While building to an extended final showdown that might be too dark and intense for small children, The Kid Who Would Be King is an ambitious attempt to connect a medieval legend to modern times in which the past proves more compelling than the present.

Rated PG, 119 minutes.