Merlin can still cast a spell

The Kid Who Would Be King (PG)

Verdict: Engaging fantasy

THE spectacle of Merlin, the wizard of Arthurian legend, wearing a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, gives some indication of how jauntily writerdirector Joe Cornish re-fashions a familiar story in this engaging fantasy for children.

Our 12-year-old hero, Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis, actor Andy’s lad), has been captivated by the tale of King Arthur since early childhood. He attends a comprehensive school in modern-day inner-city London, where he and his best friend are regularly bullied.

But after finding a mysterious old sword stuck into a stone on a building site — which Alex alone can pull out — they and their two main tormentors set off on an epic journey to Tintagel, where only they can Warm: Patrick Stewart and Louis Ashbourne Serkis save the whole of England from the dastardly intentions of Arthur’s half-sister Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson). For such a conspicuously low-budget film there are some lively special effects, not least in an exhilarating sequence involving warrior trees. Patrick Stewart pops up as the older Merlin, with Angus Imrie (actress Celia’s boy) as the wizard’s younger incarnation. Aptly enough, Cornish makes the most of the west-of-England setting, and has crafted a film well worth a half-term outing.