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March 28, 2024, 09:42:08 AM

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The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

Started by Small Man Big Horse, January 27, 2019, 10:19:41 PM

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Small Man Big Horse

Joe Cornish's follow up to Attack The Block has finally arrived after all these years, and though it's not out in the UK until February 15th it was released in the US this weekend and unfortunately it's been a bit of a flop, only taking $7.25 million on it's opening weekend despite costing $59 million, and that's before you take the advertising budget in to account.

A pretty decent cam version has been released, it's the first time I've watched such a thing since The Phantom Menace as I don't normally approve of such things, but as I'm broke (and hate going to see kids films at the cinema as the audience is made up of annoying twats) and can't be arsed to wait until it's dvd release I thought I'd give it a go. Unfortunately it's something of a mixed bag, the action sequences are mostly strong and there's a few funny bits, but a lot of the dialogue is on the nose and the themes dealt with in a surprisingly blunt manner. I know it's a film meant for kids but that's no reason to spoon feed them in such a way, plenty of other similar films don't, and I doubt they'll enjoy being patronised unless really young. It's a shame as with a smarter script it could have been a great deal of fun, but as it is it's undoubtedly a flawed work. 6.4/10

non capisco

I suspected this might be doomed to failure purely because I used to loathe being referred to as a 'kid' in the days when I was in the target age group for this film. It's an awful film title.

Sin Agog

It's that damn Buxton's fault.  He personally ensured that Stardust tanked 'n' all, didn't he?

Really wanted this to do great, and thought I'd like it what with all the casual name-dropping of John Boorman's Excalibur that Cornish has been doing. I wonder if the medieval period still captures the kids' imaginations the way it once did.

BlodwynPig

Nepotistic casting, Harry Potter shite.

Mister Six

Oh, I saw the trailer for this a bit back and wondered how it got made. Now I know Cornish is involved in actually interested. But how am I going to be able to see it in the cinema without looking like an absolute nonce?

Shaky

Quote from: Mister Six on January 28, 2019, 01:31:51 AM
Oh, I saw the trailer for this a bit back and wondered how it got made. Now I know Cornish is involved in actually interested. But how am I going to be able to see it in the cinema without looking like an absolute nonce?

You can't. Proudly stroll up to the ticket desk, announce yourself as a child sex offender and get ready to enjoy the film!

phantom_power

Quote from: Sin Agog on January 28, 2019, 12:47:51 AM
It's that damn Buxton's fault.  He personally ensured that Stardust tanked 'n' all, didn't he?


I don't get it. What has Stardust got to do with Cornish?

Phil_A

Oof. The trailer makes it look an extremely bog-standard post-Potter fantasy action film, but one that's arrived a decade too late to surf on the momentum of that franchise.

At least Attack The Block had the selling point of being a unique take on a genre, this doesn't appear to have anything new to add to an already tired landscape of kiddy wish fulfilment media.

That Mario Kart line, flipping heck Cornballs.

Sin Agog

Quote from: phantom_power on January 28, 2019, 07:08:06 AM
I don't get it. What has Stardust got to do with Cornish?

Adam Buxton's got a wee role in this as well.

phantom_power

Quote from: Sin Agog on January 28, 2019, 10:18:16 AM
Adam Buxton's got a wee role in this as well.

Didn't do Hot Fuzz any harm.

This is getting pretty good reviews in America I think

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: Sin Agog on January 28, 2019, 12:47:51 AMI wonder if the medieval period still captures the kids' imaginations the way it once did.
I don't know about kids, but the last couple of years have seen Robin Hood and that King Arthur Daley film crash and burn at the box office, so it certainly seems like it's out of fashion with the general audience. Add to that the floppy failure of the recent Mummy and Tarzan films and it seems like public domain characters as a whole are box office poison.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Phil_A on January 28, 2019, 09:48:56 AM
Oof. The trailer makes it look an extremely bog-standard post-Potter fantasy action film, but one that's arrived a decade too late to surf on the momentum of that franchise.

At least Attack The Block had the selling point of being a unique take on a genre, this doesn't appear to have anything new to add to an already tired landscape of kiddy wish fulfilment media.

That Mario Kart line, flipping heck Cornballs.

Even worse is the heavy handed moralising, by the end I was shouting at the screen as it was so patronising. It feels quite like an eighties movie in places too, remove mobile phones and the odd pop culture reference (and add shittier effects) and it could have easily passed for one. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like most of it I'd seen before way too many times.

BritishHobo

It seems to be getting a lot of 'it's better than the trailer suggests' reviews, though I'm not sure how good a thing that is. It's a shame as I always want Cornish to smash the shit out of a career as director, and for about a decade now every little gasp of news about him helming a film has had me hopping with excitement, so I really really want this to be good. I watched Attack the Block again the other day and fuck it's a great, unique, interesting film. Even in a time of Edgar-Wright-alike British comedies, who else has done something like that, about those kinds of characters? No fucker. And bits of the trailers look quite charming - I like the gangly fuck, and the two main friends seem likeable, and I think when I was a kid this is exactly the kind of thing I would have absolutely LOVED to have written. I really hope the 'better than it suggests' reviews are genuine enjoyment and not just very faint praise.

Twit 2

Big thumbs up from Kermit. Interestingly, he says he's rethought ATB and apologised in person to Joe for his review. Did he get wind of the bit on the radio show where A&J unfavourably discuss his unfavourable review (assuming that did happen and I haven't just imagined it)?

phantom_power

It's a really good, old fashioned kids adventure film, like they used to make in the 70s and 80s. For the most part it plays it with a pretty straight bat so it isn't as funny as you might expect but it gallops along nicely and has a nice central message, even though it is a big heavy-handed at times. It is a family film though so I can forgive that.

notjosh

Quote from: Twit 2 on February 16, 2019, 04:06:31 AM
Big thumbs up from Kermit. Interestingly, he says he's rethought ATB and apologised in person to Joe for his review. Did he get wind of the bit on the radio show where A&J unfavourably discuss his unfavourable review (assuming that did happen and I haven't just imagined it)?

They had it out themselves on 5Live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-clDpRH3iA4

idunnosomename

Quote from: non capisco on January 28, 2019, 12:06:20 AM
I suspected this might be doomed to failure purely because I used to loathe being referred to as a 'kid' in the days when I was in the target age group for this film. It's an awful film title.
I know. KIDZ very embarrassing. But what other word do you substitute for "man".

The Young Person Who Would Be King?

Also yeah looks a bit bleurgh. do toy movies with adam

Avril Lavigne

Quote from: idunnosomename on March 14, 2019, 11:02:07 PM
I know. KIDZ very embarrassing. But what other word do you substitute for "man".

The Young Person Who Would Be King?

Also yeah looks a bit bleurgh. do toy movies with adam

The Would-Be King


Twit 2

Quote from: notjosh on March 14, 2019, 08:04:52 PM
They had it out themselves on 5Live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-clDpRH3iA4

That's not what I meant. I know about that interview, I was wondering if A&J then discussed that appearance on K&M's show at a later time, which Kermode may have heard leading to the reappraisal.

SteveDave

The Boy Who Would Be King? Or would that alienate girls? Are girls interested in this wizards and warriors shit?

Jerzy Bondov

Quote from: idunnosomename on March 14, 2019, 11:02:07 PM
I know. KIDZ very embarrassing. But what other word do you substitute for "man".

The Young Person Who Would Be King?
KING BOY

phantom_power

There is nothing wrong with the word "kid" you bunch of fucking rodney plonkers

St_Eddie



popcorn

Not very interested in the movie but the title is brilliant you bellends. Catchy, fun, spirited, open-hearted, silly, and all with a lovely grandeur. Great.

phantom_power

Quote from: popcorn on March 16, 2019, 03:19:46 PM
Not very interested in the movie but the title is brilliant you bellends. Catchy, fun, spirited, open-hearted, silly, and all with a lovely grandeur. Great.

That's a pretty good description of the film too

Phil_A

I reckon "The Once And Future Kid" would've been better, because then you'd still have that Arthurian link. But then I suppose you'd have spend time explaining to people beforehand that it isn't a time travel film.

St_Eddie

The Fast and the Furious Kid (in 3D)

popcorn

Quote from: Phil_A on March 16, 2019, 04:31:55 PM
I reckon "The Once And Future Kid" would've been better, because then you'd still have that Arthurian link. But then I suppose you'd have spend time explaining to people beforehand that it isn't a time travel film.

And then you lose the assonance! The assonance!!