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Latter-day Saint Movie Review: What Parents Need to Know About "The Kid Who Would Be King" Before Seeing It with Their Family

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The Kid Who Would Be King | Official Trailer [HD] | Fox Family Entertainment

What's The Kid Who Would Be King About?

Writer/director Joe Cornish presents a delightful family-friendly adventure that puts a modern spin on the legend of King Arthur and The Sword in the Stone. The story takes place among British middle school kids where evil gets schooled and kids rule.

Is It Any Good? (A-)

Yes! It’s both charming and cheesy and will remind you of the fun and magic of movies you watched when you were a kid. There are some really good special effects and great cinematography with attention to delicious details.

There is a little bit of a Lord-of-the-Rings feel to this movie and the characters in The Kid Who Would Be Kingeven refer to themselves as having an adventurous battle for good like Frodo and Sam. The scriptures are also filled with inspiring stories of men and women who are surrounded by evil, yet never give up trying to shine the light in the dark.

Is It Okay for Your Family? (PG)

Here are some themes and elements of this movie you should be aware of before seeing it with your family.

  • Fantasy-action violence
  • There are some scary demons and dragons.
  • Talk to your kids what it means to have a “hollow” heart or a “pure” heart. The Lord can see into our heart (1 Samuel 16:7). When He looks at yours, what does He see?
  • The movie paints a very grim world scene with everything in commotion. Talk to your kids about world conditions and how they can learn to also see all of the good that is happening in the world today. It can be scary, but the Savior has reminded us to be of good cheer and not give up (John 16:33).
  • Bullying and name-calling
  • Beddars (Dean Chaumoo) talks about the popular TV show Game of Thrones,which is definitely not family-friendly, so it’s disappointing that it got a shout-out in a kid’s movie.
  • From a distance, you see a blurred backside of a naked young man.
  • Some profanity
  • Kids in perilous situations.

Any Worthwhile Messages? 

“Be brave and resolute.” – Young Merlin (Angus Imrie)

“The path you choose must be your own.” – Young Merlin

“The most worthwhile path, my friends, is seldom the easiest.” – Young Merlin

“Use your wits.” – Young Merlin

Movie Review Mom: Trina Boice teaches for BYU-I and is an author of 25 books. You can see all of her books and win prizes at www.TrinasBooks.com. You can read more of her reviews at www.MovieReviewMom.com. Because she is a popular speaker in China and loves to travel around the world, she created www.EmptyNestTravelHacker.com. You can also find her at @TrinaBoice on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

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