#MovieReview Arthur the King is cliché but heartwarming

Arthur the King is a shameless attempt to tug at audience heartstrings and, well, it mostly works.

The movie retells the incredible true story of Arthur, a street dog who followed an adventure racing team through the Ecuadorian jungle in 2014.

It stars Mark Wahlberg as real-life adventure team leader Mikael Lindnord, a Swede, who is Anglicised as Michael Light to allow Wahlberg to play the part as an American.

And frankly, Arthur the King is exactly what you would expect from a movie about a heroic dog and the hard-edged sports team that fall for it, but it is hard to dislike.

Wahlberg has been a hit or miss actor for the last decade, pumping out two movies a year and delivering the range of quality that you might expect from that schedule.

But he is undeniably a steady hand for any movie shooting for the middle.

And that is where movies like Arthur the King fit in – as easy watches for a family, with a cute dog and nice message.

Spoilers to follow

The movie opens on famous adventure racer Michael Light and his team making their way through the Costa Rican jungle.

Light makes an unpopular navigation decision which ultimately costs the team a finish in that year’s adventure racing world championships.

Four years later he decides to take one last shot at the race (which took place in Ecuador in real life, but the Dominican Republic in the movie) and puts together a new team for the challenge.

Adventure racing is a sport which sees teams traverse hundreds of kilometres through difficult terrain on their own power in a race to the finish line.

Teams have to contend with steep ascents, marathon running distances and raging rapids.

That dangerous terrain makes it all the more remarkable when Arthur, a stray dog fed by Light a few days earlier, turns up in the middle of the jungle.

Despite trying to leave the dog behind, Arthur keeps following the team and they unsurprisingly adopt it as a mascot of sorts.

But will it cost them the overall win? Expect a middle of the road movie and you will likely enjoy it.

Rated 13 for some Language.

3/5.

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