A great deal of the latest work from Mark Wahlberg feels manufactured, despite the fact that it’s based on a true story, this time of a pro adventure racer who meets a mangy street dog on what might be his last chance to finally win this particular race. The guy Wahlberg plays even wrote the book about this unlikely series of events, Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home, and still, the resulting film comes across like a work designed to ham-handedly manipulate emotions rather than gently tug at the heart strings. Based on the last movie Wahlberg and director Simon Cellan Jones made together, The Family Plan, perhaps this shouldn’t come as a surprise. But it is a massive storytelling disaster.
In Arthur the King, Wahlberg plays American Michael Light (in real life, his name was Mikael Lindnord and he was Swedish, but why sweat the details?), who continued to lose these big, four-person endurance races because he didn’t listen to his teammates. This choice on his part not only led to him never winning a race, but frustrated his teammates, all of whom eventually left him. After spending the next couple of years at home with his adoring wife (Juliet Rylance) and young daughter, Michael decides he’s going to take one last shot at the Adventure Racing World Championship, 435 miles across the Dominican Republic (in real life, it was Ecuador). He gathers enough sponsors to get the program rolling again, and has to gather his team—some old friends, some new—to convince them to not only race again but trust that he will listen to them during the competition. The other members of his team are played by Nathalie Emmanuel, Ali Suliman (whose character has an old knee injury that may factor into the race), and Simu Liu’s LIam, who is now best know as an influencer promoting activewear. A win would certainly increase the value of his brand, but he’s the hardest to convince because he and Michael had an ugly falling out.
With his team assembled, the race commences and includes ample amounts of hiking, biking, running, kayaking, and even some zip-lining, and Michael’s team seems to be holding its own with only a few setbacks. But at some point along the way, this grungy dog decides to tag along as Michael feeds it a couple scraps of food, and the dog manages to keep up with the team even across the most treacherous terrain under every horrible weather condition. And eventually the team embraces the dog’s presence in their life as a source of inspiration. They even name him Arthur, after the king. When the press picks up on the dog story, it becomes the centerpiece of the coverage about the race, and while it’s clear Arthur isn’t in the best health, he even leads the team away from danger and toward useful shortcuts. The dog certainly gives Michael a necessary boost as he figures if this hairy, broken mutt can make this journey so courageously, he certain can.
And that’s about it. Even without the dog, the race elements of the story are pretty tense and sometimes terrifying. But the screenplay by Michael Brandt seems determined to cram its messages of teamwork and believing in oneself down our throats with such vigor, you might just gag a little. Wahlberg, who usually seems game and excited about playing just about any overtly physical character, seems disinterested in this corny plot, which takes us not only to the end of the race but beyond, as Michael and his family stick with the ailing pooch during its life-or-death recovery (the things wrong with this dog are downright gross).
Nothing about Arthur the King moved me in the slightest, aside from a few death-defying moments of racing that felt more like action set pieces and less like moments that belong in a story about a dog that might die at the end. With all of the sweating and traipsing through mud, the whole experience made me feel icky and uninspired to do anything but take a shower.
The film opens in theaters on Friday.
Did you enjoy this post? Please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!