Dog movies can always make me shed a tear. However, Arthur the King does it differently. Yes, most of it is “run-of-the-mill”, but it also expands on our human friends as well. Arthur the King is a story about a group of adventure racers that compete in the Adventure Race World Championship in the Dominican Republic. Each of the four members have their own reason why they want to be crowned number one, but along the way, they find a companion that will change the way everyone thinks.
Mark Walberg stars as the main protagonist, Mikael Lindnord, and is accompanied by Simu Lui, Nathalie Emmanuel and Ali Suliman as they persevere through the jungle trying to bring home that trophy.
While the movie is based on a true story, they definitely “Hollywooded” it. Yes, there was an athlete named Mikael Lindnord, and yes there was a dog named Arthur, however, Wahlberg completely changed the setting. The actual story takes place in 2014 in the country of Ecuador, while the movie’s setting takes place in the Dominican Republic and in 2018. There were also a couple nuance details that were also inaccurate and just added for the effect of Hollywood. This didn’t bother me too much during the movie but after reading about Lindnord and his team, I kind of wished they stayed truer to the actual story.
But as for the movie quality, the dialogue and acting were great. It almost seemed like they weren’t acting and actually were a part of the adventure. The conversations between characters felt real and genuine and I actually paid attention to what was being said.
I also want to point out how great Mark Wahlberg was in this movie. Most people know him from his more comedic performances such as Ted, Daddy’s Home and The Other Guys. Even though he has starred in dramatic roles, I think this is one of his top performances alongside Lone Survivor and Shooter.
The overall screenplay and cinematography weren’t terrible either. There were some instances where the camera would shake and be at a weird angle but looking back on it, I think it was intended like that because of the circumstances of the specific action sequence. There were also some instances that wasn’t up to par with the rest of the film that I wasn’t a huge fan of.
And how would I even talk about a dog movie if it didn’t make me feel bad for the dog at least once. Working in the veterinary field, I have seen far too many beloved pets cross the rainbow bridge and I applaud Lindnord that he didn’t give up on Arthur throughout his time during the race.
Final Thoughts:
I was going into Arthur The King with low expectations. I thought it was just going to be another one of those “Mark Wahlberg” kind of films, but I was totally wrong. It had a little bit of everything. Some instances of comedy, action, and seriousness. The main critique I have is that I wish they stayed truer to the original story of Arthur and Lindnord rather than deviating from it to make it more appealing. Overall, this is a must watch for all dog lovers and end-of-your-seat movies.
3.5/5
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