Arthur the King | 2024 | PG-13 | – 1.3.5

Why is “Arthur the King” rated PG-13? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “some strong language.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a few kisses and hugs, many scenes of peril including climbing sheer rock walls, being stuck on a zip line, being stuck in mud while kayaking, several scenes of a dog needing medical intervention from injuries sustained from abuse and neglect, a near drowning, discussions of dying from pancreatic cancer, several arguments, and at least 1 F-word and other strong language. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.

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Based on a true story about a man (Mark Wahlberg) determined to finally win an adventure race; when he puts together a team, he is unaware of the impact the addition of a canine teammate will make on his life. Also with Nathalie Emmanuel, Juliet Rylance, Michael Landes and Paul Guilfoyle. Directed by Simon Cellan Jones. [Running Time: 1:30]

Arthur the King SEX/NUDITY 1

 – A husband and his wife kiss and hug.
► A man’s young daughter asks if she can paint his nails for him and he agrees. A man paints his toenails before a race.
► A man shaves his legs before a race and we see him shirtless (his bare chest, abdomen and back are shown). A man is shown shirtless after showering and we see his bare chest, abdomen and back. A woman wears tight-fitting workout clothing that reveals cleavage, her bare abdomen and back in a few scenes. A woman wears a low-cut nightgown that reveals cleavage.

Arthur the King VIOLENCE/GORE 3

 – When stopped by a mountain, a team of four people climb the sheer wall carrying their bikes in order to get back on a trail; one man slips a couple of times but they all get to the top. Four people slide along a cable carrying their bikes over a jungle; one person is stuck part way across and another comes to help; they both make it to the other side unharmed. A dog whimpers and barks when left on a beach as people row away in kayaks; the dog chases them along a beach and swims toward them before sinking under the surface and nearly drowning until a man pulls the dog onto his kayak.
► A dog is sedated and operated on (we see the dog with a cone over its nose and hear monitors beeping); the dog moans and breathes raggedly when coming out of sedation and closes its eyes (we fear that the dog has died, but is shown OK later). A dog collapses on the ground and moans; we see the dog at a veterinary clinic and we are told that it suffers from injuries from abuse and neglect and that it must be in a lot of pain; the doctors recommend euthanasia. A dog whimpers and cries when put in a crate in order to fly on a plane. A dog refuses to go inside a hotel and sleeps on a sidewalk with a man instead. A dog barks aggressively at a man blocking his way and the man tries to kick it before realizing that the dog stopped the man from stepping off a ledge into a chasm.
► People run at night on dirt trails and in the rain; one man trips on a tree root and hurts his knee and we see him limping in several scenes. During a race, four people in kayaks are stuck in mud when the tide goes out and they are stranded; the teammates argue about what they should do. A woman climbs a sheer rock wall and a man climbs up to talk to her; the woman slides back down her safety line to the ground. People run through 29 miles of jungle trails, then cycle for 187 miles, hike 27 miles, and kayak many miles over 5 days during an adventure race.
► People argue in several scenes about what to do during a race. Team members from opposing teams exchange insults in a few scenes. We hear that a man is dying from pancreatic cancer. A gunshot starts a race. A man tells a dog, “I’m not a dog person.”
► Two dogs bark aggressively at another dog and chase it through streets and alleys snarling and barking; the first dog jumps onto the back of a truck and rides away leaving the other dogs behind. A dog lies in a street moaning and a man brings it water but it has left. A dog limps while walking through a crowded street. A man yells and chases a dog away from a shop. A dog tips over a garbage can in an alley to get food. Dogs are shown scavenging in streets in several scenes. We hear that there is a problem with stray dogs and that most of them have rabies.
► A man vomits while hiking (we see goo) and we are told that he is dehydrated; he later coughs, gags and spits out some liquid. A woman has a large blister on her heel and pulls off a piece of skin. A dog is seen to have a large bloody wound on its back and a man says that he smells rotten flesh.

Arthur the King LANGUAGE 5

 – At least 1 F-word, 23 scatological terms, 4 anatomical terms, 13 mild obscenities, name-calling (weak, selfish, crazy, stupid, delusional, this thing, stupidest), exclamations (frickin’, friggin’, oh my gosh, hey man, oh man, if she gave a whale’s hump, out of your mind), 1 religious profanity (GD), 7 religious exclamations (e.g. oh my God, God, oh God, my God, Jesus, Holy [scatological term deleted]). | profanity glossary |

Arthur the King SUBSTANCE USE

 – A man is given IV fluids when he becomes dehydrated during a race, and a man takes pills (it’s not clear what they are) in a few scenes for knee pain. Two men drink bottles of beer, and a man says that whoever loses a race will buy him a beer.

Arthur the King DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Adventure racing, giving up, competition, family, cancer, survival, branding legacy, social media, ego, being selfish, prohibition, shortcuts.

Arthur the King MESSAGE

 – Saving someone is the sign of a true winner.