Review: 'Arthur the King's heart & paw-rity is enough to even make a not-dog person sobbing & loving this saga

It's usually pretty easy to have someone balling in a film if you have roped in an adorable canine being his adorable self, and the respective film doesn't end in a tragedy. This is one of the key components of the Mark Wahlberg starrer Arthur the King, which is based on the real-life story of Arthur—The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord. 

It's also totally obvious to see how this subject would lure any filmmaker into making a scintillating and heartfelt movie out of an extraordinary story not just for the dog but also for the human. But does this lovely impossible story translate into making you feel the right set of emotions and make an impact enough to keep you hooked? Having had the chance to see the film beforehand, here's what I thought about it-

Dog Lovers and Not-Dog Persons Assemble

I say it now, and I might repeat it again ahead - I am not a dog person. (Please don't go all F.R.I.E.N.D.S on me when Chandler confesses about not liking dogs). But yes, I really don't. However, it has always fascinated me that even then, a good, heartfelt movie about pets always has me feeling the intended emotions (I am a human, after all). Even here, Arthur the King's mission to make you go 'aww' umpteen times, well up when the doggo is fighting insurmountable odds, and his squeaky baby voice of feeling down or sad just as you feel all heart for him. 

There is no greater and purer bond than that of a dog and a human, and that is the basic gist of this saga. Furthermore, it helps that you have fine actors like Wahlberg, Simu Liu and Nathalie Emmanuel doing their job well in being an aid to this gobsmacking adventure race where, on the one hand, mostly everyone has a selfish reason to right their previous wrongs, are facing mind-bending physical and mental challenges, and of course, all of this with an unlikely companion who is considered a 'liability' by others.

An Extraordinary Adventure

It is a no-brainer that you absolutely connect with the heartwarming moments every time, especially the last 15 minutes when you might find it difficult to hold back your tears. This makes Arthur the King a worthy watch in itself.

Special kudos should also be given to the authenticity with which the extremely challenging 5-day Adventure Race hurdles and situations are portrayed. Not once do you feel that these are actors acting, but actual racers facing crazy odds as they try to finally win it.

Lack of Depth in Screenplay Especially with the Human Story

But Arthur the King doesn't come without its set of shortcomings, and one of the key factors that the makers would have wanted us to feel was to connect with the human story and chemistry a lot more. That doesn't happen quite a lot, and overall, it seems rushed and convenient. In a flicker of one scene, it is just verbally mentioned that this group has barely had any training before heading into the race. - the whys and whats are never explored. It is difficult to feel for a character who is just too rigid and stubborn, not to forget - selfish enough to have horse blinders and only care about his 'lost' dignity. 

The wife, while understandably and amazingly supporting her husband, is never shown to have any challenges or conflicts—which, in reality, she obviously did, as she took care of their home, a little girl and everything else while her husband was away. In the climax, we see the culmination of Michael's (Wahlberg) saga but aren't even shown a montage of other primary characters, especially because they are given decent backstories to go back to.

The Verdict

Arthur the King has several drawbacks and might have you questioning the decisions made by the makers with their screenplay, but the core emotion of a supremely adorable doggo, his incredible story of completing a 5-day Adventure Race and then even fighting a life battle, takes over and has your heart full and smiling at the end.

Rating - ***1/2 (3.5/5)