CHARMING MOVIE FANTASY
Gough). “Don’t worry!” Alex shows off his Arthurian credentials in an early scene when he saves his hapless pal Bedders (Dean Chaumoo) from getting battered by 16-year-old bullies Lance (Tom Taylor) and Kay (Rhianna Dorris).
The older kids chase him to a building site where Alex stumbles across a sword stuck in a block of concrete and casually pulls it out.
Soon he is visited by the wizard Merlin, who appears to him first as a manic 16-year-old boy (Angus Imrie, son of Celia), then as an owl, then as a craggy old man (Patrick Stewart).
Merlin tells him that the sword is Excalibur, he is the heir of King Arthur and unless he finds his inner hero, Morgana will do for Britain in four days’ time.
The child actors are a bit of a mixed bag. Kids will love the wacky way Imrie Jnr casts his spells but may find Serkis Jnr a little bland.
Goonies-loving parents may also notice a Chunk-sized hole in the gang of school kids. Chaumoo is achingly sweet, but the role needed a little spice.
However, the film’s pace helps to paper over the cracks. As Alex’s quest takes him to Stonehenge, Tintagel Castle and Glastonbury Tor, Cornish hits us with horse chases, killer trees and an ingenious siege where a secondary school doubles up as a medieval castle.
But, ultimately, it’s the chivalric code that saves Britain.
Just as Arthur made allies of his rival warlords, Alex needs to get his enemies onside to fend off the next dark age.
Perhaps there’s something here for Theresa May after all.