Arthur the King
An unexpected encounter. An unlikely bond. An unforgettable adventure.
Over the course of ten days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur. As the team is pushed to their outer limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty and friendship truly mean.
Wokeness: 40%
Overall Score: 60%
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User Submitted Reviews
JohnLogan
Race swapped the team members
The real-life team (Mikael Lindnord, Simon Niemi, Karen Lundgren, and Staffan Björklund) were not diverse as portrayed. The team leader in real life is Sweedish, not American, and his name is Mikael Lindnord, not Michael Light. His wife was in the team in real life, but was portrayed as retired from racing and at home during the race, which is dishonors her efforts. Also some forced strong female moments.
Created: 04-10-2024
Pha-Q woke
Better Than Expected.
Only woke is DEI checkboxes in the casting. The original team was 3 men and 1 woman so that is correct. I'm not sure why they felt the need to leave his wife off the team other than to get another checkmark DEI POC in the casting. Well acted and cinematography. The core story is pretty accurate but there is the usual inclusion of a lot of scenes that never happened, and they are all pretty obvious. Also some unnecessary changes to the story that didn't need to be done. Still a good story overall and a well made movie worth watching in my opinion.
Created: 07-21-2024
Michaels
Bros don't leave bros behind
"Arthur the King" is the potentially charming story of an endurance racing team that gains a stray dog as the "fifth member" of the team. Although based on a true story, the film's deviations from reality denigrate the experience. Also, this movie tries too hard to be a movie, failing to immerse me in its world.
One deviation from reality is that the real team was all Swedish and all white, whereas this team is American and maximally multiethnic: white, black, Asian, Arab. Why not let white Swedes be white Swedes?! Rewriting history to suit an agenda reeks of "1984". If the story had been fictional, I would have been merciful in my woke rating.
In contrast to the altered team, the dog is like a clone of the original. The real team leader, Mikael Lindnord, wrote: "[They] look incredibly similar, like twins. It's not only the look, they walk the same and both have the same extreme calm and spiritual wisdom." So, it's accuracy for doggy but not for thee, whitey.
However, the movie dog saves a team member from death, whereas the real dog did no such thing. This feels just as unnatural as the DEI.
The director violates the fourth wall via DEI and other forced story elements, robbing the true story of its authenticity and soul. As a result, the movie is unexceptional.
Created: 07-29-2024
