Arthur the King (2024)

Arthur the King Review

Sport is an understatement. Adventure Team Racing is a worldwide extreme, demanding and exhaustive activity. The Iron Man’s blend of swimming, running, and biking pales in comparison to it. In one race, participants may run, bike, climb, kayak or do any other grueling forward motion over any kind of dangerous ground imaginable. They can also go on for many days with only brief allowed rests and time penalties for things like IV fluids. “Arthur the King” tells the story of such a race where a Swedish team raced through the jungles, mountains and rivers of Ecuador (the film has an American team racing through the jungles etc of the Dominican Republic). Mark Wahlberg stars as Michael Light, team leader who bonds with a stray dog he names Arthur.

It’s really three movies in one all watchable but not always meshing together. The first part is Michael’s story which is the least interesting. He’s a restless character–maybe he’s an adrenalin junkie or maybe he just has something to prove after being called “the best adventure team racer never to win a championship” by “Man vs Wild” host Bear Grylls (playing himself off camera). He loves his wife and daughter but he hates working for his father who was in military then became realtor when “America got tired of war.” He won’t let his tombstone be that viral image from last year of his losing team literally stuck in the mud.

No sponsor wants him after last year’s failure. But Michael finds four sponsors anyway: Chick (Ali Suliman), navigator who was let go from championship team for bad knee; Olivia (Nathalie Emmanuel), expert free climber & daughter of former champion whose health is failing; Leo (Simu Liu) who posted that viral mud photo–he’s social media star still mad at Michael over bad decisions that cost them prize money last year; plus Lou, who can’t give too much information right now but she has a certain set of skills. Michael promises Leo this time he will have voice in team’s direction. Lou warns him, “It will be a loud one.”

Second part of film is the race itself: “5-10 days racing the toughest terrain on earth.” With limited budget the team cuts back on crucial on-site preparation time so they arrive just before race start with not enough time to acclimate to climate etc. “First rule is anything can happen,” Michael tells team, and everyone responds with sports-y pep talk aphorisms like “Whatever it takes” and “We accept it. We embrace it.”

First event is a 24-mile trek through jungle. There’s no set path so one of challenge of sport is finding shortcuts through uncharted treacherous terrain. This part of film has beautiful settings (though racers hardly ever take time to look at them) & very exciting sequences including real nail-biter on fraying zip line.

The story of Arthur is the third piece, of course. This refers to an abused street dog who does the impossible and follows them for hundreds of miles after Michael gives him a meatball Michael wasn’t a “dog person.” One time, the team is about to drive off a cliff but Arthur saves them. The beginning sentence record that both Michael and Arthur are loners at first; however, during the race they become teammates then family members. While “whatever it takes” spirit remains within entire group, what human beings think “it” should be shifts the target worth taking risks for.

Sometimes I thought Wahlberg was imitating Andy Samberg imitating himself and expected him to tell Arthur to say hi to his mother as he spoke to the dog. Still undeniably moving though is Michaels connection with Arthur as well as how he transfers his determination from race onto fighting bringing him back home – look forward those shots real Mikael over closing credits

“A magical finish line,” said Michael’s wife about his dream which this movie calls attention too we need examine closely what our objectives are so ask yourself if achieving them will give us what hope for & also indicate where true victory lies in life.

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