The Kid Who Would Be King
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: January 25, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews
Positive:
26
Mixed:
8
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The GuardianCath ClarkeFeb 14, 2019
None of the young stars shine as John Boyega did in ATB, but this movie is sentimental in all the right places, and impossible to dislike. Read full review
60
Time OutPhil de SemlyenJan 25, 2019
It falls short of enchanting but it's never less than fun and likable. Watch it through the eyes of your inner teenager and you’ll have a blast. Read full review
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeJan 12, 2019
With its retro-video-game score and “Goonies”-style gang of misfit characters, the movie plays like a throwback to Spielberg-produced adventure films of the ’80s. And yet, the premise feels wobbly at best. Read full review
58
The Film StageVikram MurthiJan 21, 2019
The Kid Who Would Be King’s arrhythmic pacing proves to be a liability, particularly in the homestretch when Cornish establishes three separate endings and decides to power through all of them Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyJan 14, 2019
Might be smarter that the average live-action kids’ movie, but it’s hamstrung by a lack of visual imagination and a generic script. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternJan 24, 2019
Details like these are delightful. So is the notion of Stonehenge as a transport hub to another temporal plane, and the spectacle of Alex and his dauntless cohorts in tin armor they’ve bought in a souvenir shop. What’s destructive, and eventually benumbing, is the kitchen-sink clutter of fantasy, reality, wish-fulfillment and glib enchantment. To say that the film lacks simplicity would be an oversimplification. Read full review
50
Arizona RepublicScott CravenJan 23, 2019
The modern interpretation of King Arthur will entertain young viewers, eager to follow a story that doesn’t require Merlin’s magic to see where it’s headed. Read full review
40
The Observer (UK)Simran HansFeb 21, 2019
I’m a huge fan of Cornish’s 2011 debut Attack the Block, but this film isn’t nearly as energetic or enjoyably wacky as its predecessor. In fairness, it’s pitched at a considerably younger audience, but at two hours it drags; less patient children may struggle. Read full review
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