Arthur the King

Arthur the King
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Ukai, Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel
Directed by Simon Cellan Jones

Directors say there's two different obstacles that comes with directing films: children and animals. Not that they're necessarily bad, but it's harder to direct them rather than acclaimed actors who know what they're doing. Animals specifically could be hard to tame, unless they're already established as actors who have handlers that have trained them to act. Fortunately for director Simon Cellan Jones, he found the goodest boy in Ukai, a trained dog who is the heart and soul of his (mostly) true biopic "Arthur the King," a tale of wonder and amazement as an injured street dog achieved the impossible and found a new home in the most unlikely of places.

Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) has a passion for racing, and for the last three years he's haunted by the last race he didn't win because he allowed his own pride to get in the way of his team's sound judgment. He pines for another shot, and he's not getting any younger. His wife Helena (Juliet Rylance) - who also raced with him - finally lets him get the team back together and embark on one final adventure. After securing a sponsor he travels across the country to get the old gang together: Chik (Ali Suliman) who now has a bum leg, Leo (Simu Liu) who's now an arrogant Instagram model and also Michael's biggest frienemey, and Olivia (Nathalie Emmanuel) who replaces Helena and agrees to the race to honor her ailing father.

This ragtag group travels to the Dominican Republic to run the epic race - a five-to-ten day, 435 mile course that involves running, hiking, biking, kayaking and more. Michael is bound to not let his past mistakes happen again, and is more determined than ever to win. Meanwhile a homeless dog (Ukai) is begging for food at one of the stops when Michael gives him some meatballs, and he thinks he'll never see the dog again - only to see him again later in the race, hundreds of miles from where he left him. He names the dog Arthur after saving them from almost falling off a cliff, and he joins the team as they race to the finish - meanwhile Arthur himself struggles with ailments he endured while being on the streets that threatens his own life and threatens Michael's desire to win at all costs.

"Arthur the King" is one of those rousing, inspirational true life stories about the underdog coming out on top and learning a valuable lesson about life - it's not about winning, but the people (and sometimes animals) you run into along the way. The film is an intense thrill ride from start to finish, even though you pretty much know the outcome, and the race itself is thrilling and fascinating - and something I personally would never, ever consider doing. It tests the stamina of man and is utterly insane, but it also shows a person's character and their flaws as well - adding a four-legged friend to the mix and it only complicates things.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Michael Light, and this is one of those roles that's tailor-made for the former Oscar nominee. He's great at playing the real life characters of flawed people who overcome their demons and end up doing the right thing, and he has this effortless charm that makes him endearing. It's not a tremendous performance, but one that firmly is within his wheelhouse and he gracefully breezes through. Simu Liu is hilarious as the social media influencer who came at odds against Michael three years prior (and, as it turns out, was right) and now serves as Michael's fodder on the team, as well as maintaining a tight friendship as well. This might be Wahlberg's vehicle, but Liu has a more meatier role to balance as opposed to Wahlberg's generic heroic character.

One of the flaws in the film is the lack of female characters, or at least their role in the story. "Fast and the Furious" star Nathalie Emmanuel exists as the female replacement for Michael's wife, and is only racing to appease her dying father. She isn't given much more story other than that, and Juliet Rylance fares even worse. As someone who was every part Michael's equal in the past, now Helena is a stay-at-home mom who serves to push her husband to achieve his dreams while she's content with staying at home and watching from the sidelines. Both of these characters are caricatures of their mold and are relegated to the background.

Yet the real star of the show is Ukai, the trained dog playing Arthur. He's the heart and soul of the film, the goodest dog ever, and the true story is insane. He tracks Michael and his team through terrain impossible for most humans, and serves to protect them through the harsh Dominican Republic land. His expressions speak volumes, and your heart will be with him as he endures his own hardships that he doesn't express until the end. The last third of the film is one where you'll need tissues ready, especially if you're a dog lover, and Ukai gives an unsung performance.

While the film is generic in its storytelling and some of the characters are lacking substance, "Arthur the King" is really about Arthur, and his journey is something that proves that the impossible can be possible as long as you believe.

The Score: A-


**SPOILER ALERT TO FOLLOW**
Read on if you want to find out if the dog dies at the end, since this is a major trigger for most people...
















Arthur does not die, but he does have a couple close calls. He is badly bruised and beaten, and there's a few moments at different vets where it looks like he won't make it - but he does, and makes a full recovery.