The script is good-natured and action-packed and attempts to delve into thematic territory beyond what might be normally expected from a kid&r...
Associated Press January 22, 2019 [It’s] a surprisingly delightful film full of action, heart, a crazy-haired Patrick Stewart (as "old" Merlin) and a few genuinely g...
The Atlantic January 24, 2019 It’s a film that somehow takes one of the oldest "chosen one" narratives around-the story of King Arthur-and finds something fresh...
Detroit News January 25, 2019 [Cornish] wisely speaks the language of children without talking down to them.
Independent February 13, 2019 Cornish is a witty and inventive director but the basic conceit here never really works.
A charming family-friendly adventure.
It’s often quite funny, the effects are satisfying if not out of this world, and its message that we should ally with those with whom we disa...
Empire Magazine February 4, 2019 More proof that Cornish is a wizard at re-energising tired tropes. The characters are a delight, the action sequences thrum with invention, an...
The Guardian February 14, 2019 This movie is sentimental in all the right places, and impossible to dislike.
Chicago Reader February 19, 2020 The movie has the freshness, innocence, and energy of youngsters on the threshold of adulthood, embarked on a grand heroic adventure.
Cornish is offering a kind of movie they just don’t make anymore – expansive live-action adventure tales unabashedly aimed at young...
Globe and Mail January 18, 2019 There are times when one must simply quote Weird Al: The Kid Who Would Be King gets medieval on our heinies.
Little White Lies February 15, 2019 A crowning achievement.
A charming story of fantasy, pop-culture references and myth-making. It’s a movie with the playful camaraderie of "Goonies" and a few el...
It’s a charming notion, worked out zestfully by the writer-director, Joe Cornish, until the charm falls victim to familiar CGI Halloween...
The Kid Who Would Be King is a revelation without being a relic, a throwback to a time when family films weren’t overloaded with po...
It’s not embarrassed about not being cynical.
indieWire January 12, 2019 By liberating a new generation from the lore they were taught… "The Kid Who Would Be King" empowers its audience to make the world their own.
New York Times January 24, 2019 A brisk, well-mounted children’s fantasy, with Cornish giving the story an entertainingly apocalyptic spin.
Slant Magazine January 20, 2019 Joe Cornish’s film is vigilant in its positivity and hope for the future at nearly every turn.
Cornish crafts a King Arthur movie that draws in a younger crowd, reinterprets the tale for a modern age and speaks consciously to the cu...
The Guardian February 17, 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...
Movie Mom January 25, 2019 Joe Cornish (the cheeky "Attack the Block") keeps things lively, with plenty of humor to balance the action and a rousing finale with the enti...
New York Post January 25, 2019 A movie with the goofy charm of 1980s kids adventure flicks, such as "The Goonies" or "The NeverEnding Story."
MovieFreak.com January 26, 2019 Overflowing in intelligence, imagination and wit that’s as infectious as it is exhilarating.
Austin Chronicle January 24, 2019 A bit of action, a bit of humor, and a whole bunch of teachable moments.
film.avclub.com January 14, 2019 The Kid Who Would Be King,… might be smarter that the average live-action kids' movie, but it’s hamstrung by a lack of visual imagination and...
ReelViews January 25, 2019 A fantasy-adventure inspired by Arthurian legends that, although perfectly entertaining for children in the age 8–12 bracket, may be a bore an...
Times (UK) February 15, 2019 If you factor in the movie’s faith in the kindness of children and its eventual optimism about the future, it becomes, in essence, a healing...
USA Today January 23, 2019 "The Kid Who Would Be King" revitalizes the Arthurian legend for a new generation of film fans, with a family-friendly story as sharp as...
A likable enough, Amblin-esque update to the classic Arthurian legend…
Daily Telegraph February 4, 2019 This scrappily engaging new take from Joe Cornish, squarely aimed at older children and younger teens, finds a sparkle in the old tale that fe...
All the same, the film does bear a political subtext, if a slightly disconcerting one. The implication isn’t that anyone can be a h...
Though there’s something refreshing about a film relatively unconcerned with dramatic stakes… the lack of tension sags under the weight...