Story

After a humiliating loss at the 2015 Adventure Racing World Championship and a 3-year break, Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) is desperate for one last chance to win the Championship. After convincing a sponsor to back him, Michael and his ragtag team of athletes, Leo (Simu Liu), Olivia (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Chik (Ali Suliman), set off to the Dominican Republic for the race of a lifetime.

Over the course of 10 days and 435 miles, a stray dog they dub Arthur joins their group, and together they all face the jungle. As they climb treacherous cliffs, run gruelling marathons and cycle dangerously fast, these unusual friends forge unbreakable bonds in the hope of one final win.

Themes

Second chances; animal abuse; inner strength; grief; commercialism

Violence

Arthur the King has some violence. For example:

  • There are several scenes where characters are arguing and yelling at each other aggressively.
  • Arthur has been violently abused, which has given him terrible wounds.

Sexual references

Arthur the King has some sexual references. For example:

  • A married couple kisses many times.
  • Leo askes Michael ‘how his ass looks’ and smacks it while ziplining.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Arthur the King shows some use of substances. For example, characters drink beer socially to unwind.

Nudity and sexual activity

Arthur the King has some nudity and sexual activity. For example, Leo shaves his legs while wearing only boxer shorts.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in Arthur the King:

  • Logos on competitors’ shirts include The Adventure Racing World Series logo and the Nissan logo.
  • There’s corporate sponsorship for sports-related brands throughout the movie.
  • A character uploads a photo to Instagram and frequently talks about their influencer status on Instagram and Twitter.
  • Sports-related branding is shown throughout. This includes Under Armour.
  • A character takes Advil several times.
  • There’s a Kevita drink on a character’s desk.
  • A character packs cans of Redbull into a bag.

Coarse language

Arthur the King has some coarse language.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Based on a true story, Arthur the King is a heart-warming story of perseverance, teamwork and love.

Arthur the King includes confronting animal abuse, coarse language and darker themes including negative self-worth. Therefore we recommend parental guidance for children aged 12-13 years. The movie is best suited to viewers aged over 13 years.

The main messages from Arthur the King are that everyone can change for the better and that second chances come in many forms.

Values in Arthur the King that you could reinforce with your children include teamwork, redemption, compassion, courage, inner strength, perseverance and leadership.

Arthur the King could also give you the chance to talk with your children about issues and questions like the following:

  • Michael changes the way that he acts in a team throughout the story. What makes someone a good leader?
  • Michael decides that he won’t euthanise Arthur, despite the vet’s advice. Why is humane euthanasia an option? Does Michael make the right choice?
  • The movie includes discussion of severe animal abuse. How can we protect animals from abuse?

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Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

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