Arthur the King – Will Make You Want To Hug Your Dog

Arthur the King is an adventure film based on elite athlete Mikael Lindnord’s memoir Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed a Jungle to Find a Home. Centered around the 2018 Adventure Racing World Championships, the story saw Michael Light (Wahlberg) and his team, including Liu (Leo), Emmanuel (Olivia), Ali Suliman (Chik), whom while competing, are joined by a stray pup named Arthur. The goal of the ARC is to win and cross the finish line together, but given the terrain they faced and the arduous nature of the race itself, getting from point A to point b proved to be a challenging task.

We seem to be in the midst of an inspirational sports movie renaissance as Hollywood has rediscovered the magic of this genre. Arthur the King fits solidly somewhere in between last year’s Nyad and this year’s recent Matthew Modine-headlined cycling drama Hard Miles. Directed by Simon Cellan Jones and written by Michael Brandt, the film doesn’t ever step outside its race lane and is precisely what one would think it will be. It’s a tale as old as time: Dog saves man, and man saves dog in return with a whole lot of feats of strength and grit in between.

The 435-mile race isn’t a triathlon or an IronMan race, but rather, it is its own beast: an adventure race. For most ordinary humans, this feat of athleticism would be impossible. But Michael and his team are physically capable and formidable. Each with their own previous experience, they all bring their own skill set to the team. Not only does the film’s drama come from the very nature of the race, it also comes from the interpersonal conflicts between the characters. For Michael, the emotional stakes are quite high as the race was not just a run-of-the-mill jaunt or a fun way to spend his time. This year’s race that has brought Michael and his team to the Dominican Republic (shot in Ecuador) for his last chance to win after a 19-year career. It represents his salvation after some dodgy decisions that have have haunted him and became obstacles for his then teammates to overcome.

For Wahlberg, too, this is a different sort of film. Because this is an elite sports movie, the masculinity that he’s become known for with action outing after outing is threaded throughout. But there is also a strong emotional core to his character in Arthur the King, and we see the more layered use of his acting skills. This is Wahlberg reminding us that he’s an Oscar-nominated actor. (To be clear, Arthur the King is delightful, but it isn’t going to be nominated or win any awards.)

As the film’s title suggests, it is ultimately at its best when it focused on Michael’s relationship with Arthur. Wahlberg lets audiences see that bond form and grow between Michael and Arthur. As their bond got deeper, it is reflected by Michael who grows and over the course of the film, evolves into a character worth rooting for. Dogs are man’s best friend for a reason. Later on, there’s a critical decision that comes for Michael and the team that we won’t spoil, but it is the height of his journey of self-discovery, and everything else in the film is just, well, meatballs.

Meanwhile, the other A-list talent on the film’s roster slips into their roles with equal believability and emotional artistry. Liu as Leo, a character with a tumultuous past history with Michael though also provides a lot of the film’s levity. Because he has such great comedic chops, it’s hard to tell where he ends and Leo begins, but either way it’s fun to see on screen. Emmanuel as Olivia and Suliman as Chik hold their own in this grueling film, too.

Arthur’s relationship with the adventure team is pretty important (as the marketing with all the posters of the cute pup could attest). Arthur drives some of their character growth and helps elevate this from just another sports movie to something that will have audiences feeling some powerful emotions. But beware, those who are animal lovers or just normal human beings with a heart, some moments in Arthur the King will be very stressful as Arthur find himself in a series of gnarly situations. While it doesn’t rise to Land Before Time levels of emotional scarring, audiences will probably find themselves holding their breath. But spoiler alert: rest easy because the dog doesn’t die in the end.

Overall, Arthur the King is a solid choice for a family movie night with tweens and older children. While it is not something one should rush out to experience on the big screen, but it is something that will leave audiences inspired, probably in tears, and maybe dreaming of a trip to the Dominican Republic.

still courtesy of Lionsgate

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Ayla Ruby

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