by Jeremy Kazieva,
‘ARTHUR THE KING’ PROVES THAT A DOG IS A MAN’S BEST FRIEND. THIS FILM IS ARGUABLY THE BEST AND MOST EMOTIONAL FILM OF THE YEAR BEING A TRUE STORY ABOUT A DOG’S RESILIENCE, PAIN, INSPIRATION, LIFE, AND BELIEF AS HE GOES FROM ABUSE AND FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE, TO FINDING A FAMILY THROUGH THE ROUGHEST CONDITIONS THAT THE ENVIRONMENT TENDS TO THROW AT HIM. TRULY THE BEST “BASED ON A TRUE STORY’“ FILM I HAVE EVER SEEN SINCE GRAN TURISMO.
Arthur the King is about a man who is so desperate for one last chance to win a race, after being constantly tired of coming in 2nd – or worse, Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. As the team (Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel and Ali Suliman) gets pushed to the outer limits of endurance, a dog named Arthur comes along for the ride, redefining what victory, loyalty, and friendship truly mean.
During the film, each team member suffers through a certain issue within the environment and that becomes the first test of resiliency. Whether it’s physical or mental pain, it puts everyone through the ultimate test to see if they have what it takes to reach the finish line. Mark Wahlberg puts his physical and mental strength to its fullest potential as the man responsible for bringing everyone together, throughout his speeches, his mental and physical strength, it provides everyone with a sign of motivation and hope that what seemed to be impossible, is possible. Simu Liu goes from 0 to 100 (well maybe 1M) as he becomes a social media influencer and uses his followers to document his and his team’s journey. Truly defining how important it is to have a phone. The rest of the team joined the race for mental and family reasons. To help a friend, fulfill a promise, and complete the final mission. Arthur, meanwhile, does the same thing for himself while trying to find a family and a home away from the Dominican Republic. After being abused, struggling to find shelter, food, and water, basically a struggling stray, he decides it’s time to find a loyal companion. After finding his hopeful partner, he chooses to stick to his gut, survive, and follow the group throughout the whole 400+ mile race across the country, while enduring the pain he has felt during his life. The pace is great, each character gets great screen time, none of the scenes felt dragging and there were no scenes that make you want more because every scene has something that draws the audience into the movie. Whether it’s the location, the dialogue, the activities, or just the acting, this movie has it all.
Michael Light, someone who has never owned a pet or companion, grows more fond and gains a connection with Arthur throughout the movie. Arthur changes from a man whose life was about winning races, to growing a connection
with Michael. This is the story about the ultimate survivor, fighter, warrior, and companion who will endure the same pain as the group of racers just to show his loyalty and how desperate he is for someone to love him. Whether it’s through the extreme tides of water, mud, a wet and rainy forest, etc, he is a king who fights for what he wants and may or may not ultimately get the happy ending he so rightfully deserves. This movie should forever be embedded into the Hall of Fame for the inspiration and motivation it has even fed me with. If you are someone who likes getting emotional when watching a movie, this one is definitely for you.
Arthur the King releases in theaters on March 15th, 2024.