The fact-based story of an adventure racing team and its canine companion stumbles to the finish line in “Arthur the King.”
As the disembodied commentary of Bear Grylls emphasizes in “Arthur the King,” adventure racing is an exercise in improvisation. A ragtag group of athletes kayak, climb, cycle and sprint through the wilderness from checkpoint to checkpoint in this fact-based film, but how they and their newfound canine companion navigate the course is all about their intuition and capacity for taking risks.
Adapted from “Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home,” a book by Swedish racer Mikael Lindnord, “Arthur the King” changes our protagonist’s nationality — meet Mark Wahlberg’s all-American underdog Michael Light — and fictionalizes many of the circumstances around which Lindnord met his furry pal during the 2014 Adventure Racing World Championship in Ecuador. Still, the broad strokes of the tale stay the same.
When we catch up with Michael three years later in Colorado, he’s seemingly living a life of domestic bliss, raising a sweet daughter with his wife and ex-teammate, Helen . But despite his lovely family and a stunning home in the mountains, we’re told Michael has resisted putting down roots because he’s still haunted by his winless résumé.
If you look past the forced banter and exhausted sports clichés, “Arthur the King” does offer curiosity-piquing insight into the high-octane world of adventure racing, with its quirky intricacies and grueling feats of fortitude. The movie also tackles the competing interests of sport and sponsorship, dipping a toe in that weightier discourse without taking the plunge.
Although Arthur’s introduction to Michael’s team ups the aww factor, it’s tough to square the intensity of the thrill-seeking marathon with the inherent silliness of a dog staring into the camera as whines and whimpers are seemingly added in postproduction. And no amount of puppy love can salvage the woof-worthy dialogue. Even when a rousing finale provides a dash of redemption, it’s not enough to rescue a movie that stumbles out of the blocks and never recovers.
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