Arthur the King Parent Guide

This is Mikael Lindnord’s (Mark Wahlberg) last chance. For nineteen years the formidable athlete has been competing in extreme sports, yet he has never won the Adventure Racing World Series. Mikael knows his body isn’t getting any younger, so the 2018 championship, scheduled to be held in the Dominican Republic, will be his final opportunity to achieve this life-long goal.

He has at least two other hurdles to leap before he can even get to the starting line. Adventure racing is a team sport, so he must find a couple of men and a woman to join with him. While he has come to know many other contestants over the years, he has also burned bridges with some of them. Requiring almost as much determination as training for the dauting rivalry, Mikael embarks on a recruitment trip, eventually nabbing Chik (Ali Suliman), another aging athlete whose great navigational skills might be hampered by a nagging knee injury; Olivia (Nathalie Emmanuel), an accomplished climber who hates the game and only agrees to come to please a family member; and Leo (Simu Liu), a sports celebrity and former partner who still has grievances about their last endeavor together.

Mikael’s next challenge is to find a sponsor who believes in the prospects of his freshly minted collaboration enough to cover the substantial costs of their preparing for and participating in the international contest.

Overcoming this rocky beginning, the foursome lands in the humid and hostile landscape of the Caribbean isle ready to put their best foot (feet?) forward. Frequent cussing (including a sexual expletive) occurs over hard feelings and the even harder work. However, as they face life-threatening obstacles and witness each other pressing forward with tenacity, bonds begin to form between these diverse challengers. And that is when they meet another lost soul hoping for a second chance.

Scruffy, scrappy, and starving, a mutt that is eventually dubbed Arthur first meets Mikael and his crew at an early rest stop along the racecourse. Despite his desperation, the dog displays a remarkable royal dignity, which captures Mikael’s attention enough that he offers the stray a couple of meatballs. (This is a significant sacrifice considering the sacristy of food the group has allotted for themselves over their physically and mentally grueling, 435-mile trek through jungles, over mountains and across rivers – which they hope to finish in five to ten days.) Yet Arthur’s appreciation is such that he follows the adventurers, longing to become part of their team.

Based on a true story, Arthur the King tells a tale of survival against great odds, exceeding expectations and discovering what really matters most. It is unfortunate for family viewers that the script contains so much profanity. Still, this sentimental movie is sure to play well on streaming services for years to come. Those willing to overlook the flawed language may find the story to be a pleasant reminder of life’s sweet joys that come from unexpected encounters. And we are most likely to find such experiences when we stop to look around and take notice of those who perhaps just need another chance.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.