Arthur the King

Last night, I chose this movie over Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Kung Fu Panda 4, because with certain carefully chosen exceptions I'm trying to do my part not to encourage the film industry's obnoxious devotion to remakes, reboots and endless strings of sequels. So yeah, I picked the non-franchise movie and actually liked it so much that I came out of the theater trying to think of a way to turn it into a franchise (e.g. cross-country running team and their dog mascot solve spooky mysteries on international endurance race circuit; kind of like Scooby-Doo but without the van).

But seriously, this touching movie stars a very fit for his age Mark Wahlberg as a professional endurance runner (and cyclist, climber, kayaker, whatever) who, after years of never winning a race despite being at the top of his profession, let his team down three years ago in a super-embarrasing way. But now he realizes that he can't let his career end that way, so he rounds up another team, kisses enough corporate tuchus to score a skimpy sponsorship, and jets off to the Dominican Republic to run around a whole country. Soon his four-person team is joined by a stray dog that miraculously keeps up with them, despite not being briefed on their route and having some doggy health issues to slow him down. Nevertheless, Arthur (as Wahlberg's character calls him) proves loyal and even saves the team's life at one point. And they save him right back in an act of mercy that [SPOILERS DELETED]. The heart-wrenching drama isn't over yet, though, because bringing Arthur home and getting him the medical help he needs proves to be another challenge for a true survivor and his network of friends and family.

The movie is decently acted and cast, and the Dominican Republic scenery is pretty awesome. And there's a scene that I'll get to in a moment (hint, it totally makes the movie for me) that had me squirming in my seat, covering my face with both hands (but peeking through my fingers) and holding my breath for way longer than is strictly advisable. Also on board are Paul Guilfoyle (the original CSI), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi of Ten Rings fame), Juliet Rylance (stepdaughter of Mark Rylance), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones, the Maze Runner franchise, etc.), and Bear Grylls as himself. The hero dog is pretty cute. If you want to see an interesting country that doesn't show up in a lot of U.S. movies, or if you love dogs or tales of athletic heroism, definitely see this movie. You might warm to it slowly, as it takes a while for the dog and the racing team to come together, and Wahlberg's character isn't particularly sympathetic until he falls in love with the dog. But if you give it time, it'll grow on you.

Three Scenes That Made It For Me: (1) The terrifying, suspenseful zip-line scene. If they had put in more scenes like this, it would have been a completely different type of movie – but an awesome one. (2) Arthur makes the Wahlberg character (his name is Michael Light) sleep on a stoop in a Santo Domingo street because he's scared to go inside the hotel. (3) Their heartbreaking separation when Mike is forced to let the baggage crew wheel Arthur off in a cage before putting him on the plane. The dog's despair every time he thinks Light is leaving him is vividly acted. Is that dog a good actor, or what? Bonus scene: When Light saves Arthur from drowning, a moment that totally echoes Frodo pulling Sam out of the river at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring. Bonus-bonus: A dialogue-free scene in which a prediction Light made while telling off his corporate sponsors comes true. Pay-off, big-time!

Another bonus is the obligatory, because-it's-based-on-true-events slideshow of the Light family and their loyal dog. Fun fact, the real Michael Light, in his prime, was actually better looking than Mark Wahlberg. It blows the whole "who would you pick to play you in the movie based on your life" trope to kingdom come. Don't believe me? Stay past the closing scene of the movie and see for yourself.