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"A KID IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT"
 (1995) (Thomas Ian Nicholas, Joss Ackland) (PG)

Alcohol/
Drugs		 Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude		 Frightening/
Tense Scenes		 Guns/
Weapons
None Minor Moderate Minor Moderate
Imitative
Behavior		 Jump
Scenes		 Music
(Scary/Tense)		 Music
(Inappropriate)		 Profanity
Minor None None None *Minor
Sex/
Nudity		 Smoking Tense Family
Scenes		 Topics To
Talk About		 Violence
None None Minor Mild Moderate

QUICK TAKE:
A kid falls through time and lands in King Arthur's Camelot.
PLOT:
Calvin Fuller (THOMAS IAN NICHOLAS) is your average kid who's just trying not to strike out during a baseball game. Suddenly an earthquake creates a gaping hole that Calvin falls into. He lands in medieval times in King Arthur's Camelot. There he finds the kingdom in trouble. Arthur (JOSS ACKLAND), now getting up there in the years, has lost the respect and trust of his people and is being challenged by Lord Belasco (ART MALIK). Belasco wants the hand of Princess Sarah (KATE WINSLET) so that he can then control Camelot. In the meantime, Calvin finds that he was brought there by Merlin the magician to fix things in the kingdom, and to meet the younger princess, Katey (PALOMA BAEZA). From then on, Calvin must contend with bringing the people up to 20th century standards while preventing Belasco from gaining the kingdom.
WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Some might as the idea is appealing enough in itself. However, there are no well known actors in the film to draw them in.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For mild adventure action and language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • THOMAS IAN NICHOLAS plays the time traveler who decides to teach the marvels of his time to the royals and who learns how to be a winner in his own right -- and time.
  • JOSS ACKLAND plays the king who relearns how to connect with his people.
  • PALOMA BAEZA plays the resourceful and confidant young woman who trains and assists Calvin.
  • ART MALIK plays the stereotypical bad guy who wants power.
    • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • None.
    • BLOOD/ GORE
  • Merlin says he used half a quart of vomit in creating his spell.
    • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • A soldier grabs a peasant by the throat and pushes his wife up against the wall when they complain about the soldier taking some of their food.
  • Belasco and his men have bad attitudes throughout the movie. They steal from the villagers and threaten Calvin and others repeatedly.
    • FRIGHTENING/TENSE SCENES
  • The opening title sequence has minor tense music and shots of Merlin's dark castle room where a skull is seen.
  • An earthquake opens a crevice that Calvin falls into.
    • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Swords, knives, axes, and spears: Used by Calvin and knights during training and during several fight scenes with Belasco and his men.
  • Knives: Used by Belasco and his men to threaten Calvin and others.
    • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "You're dead meat," "Clumsy mutt," "Dork," "Geez," "Idiot," "Shut your mouth," "Sucker," "Dweeb," and "Kick his butt."
  • Calvin uses karate kicks and punches to the head, body and groin to fight the bad guys.
    • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
    • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • There are just a few scenes that have minor tense music.
    • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
    • PROFANITY
  • Just 3 uses of "God," "Oh God," and "My God," as exclamations.
    • SEX/NUDITY
  • None.
    • SMOKING
  • None.
    • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Calvin talks about missing his family while Katey says she misses her dead mother.
    • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The portrayal of Camelot (historically accurate or not), kidnaping, and that playing with swords and similar weapons can be harmful or fatal.
    • VIOLENCE
  • A soldier grabs a peasant by the throat and pushes his wife up against the wall when they complain about the soldier taking some of their food.
  • Calvin knocks over a soldier as he tries to elude others.
  • Belasco kicks Calvin as he lies on the floor and then challenges him to a duel while holding his knife at Calvin's throat.
  • Belasco tells Calvin, "I could choke the life out of you right here, right now, and no one would hear you scream."
  • Calvin accidentally shoots an arrow that enters a room. We hear the shriek of a cat and assume it was hit or nearly hit with the arrow. It's played for laughs but sends the wrong message to kids.
  • Belasco enters the training room, challenges Calvin with his sword and then cuts Calvin's fighting stick in half. He then elbows Calvin, dropping him to the floor where he holds his sword on him. Calvin then kicks Belasco in the groin.
  • Katey kicks Calvin after he slyly kisses her.
  • Soldiers kidnap Katey and hold a knife to her throat as they take her away.
  • Belasco tells Sarah that if she doesn't marry him or tells any one of their conversation, he'll have Katey killed.
  • Calvin and Arthur fight soldiers with sticks and by causing building pieces to fall on them.
  • Calvin hits a guard on the head, knocking him out, while rescuing Katey.
  • Arthur hits the same guard on the head as they make their way out of the prison.
  • A soldier holds a knife to Katey and threatens to toss her off the edge of the castle. Calvin hits the soldier with the laser beam from his CD player and the soldier falls off the edge.
  • Contestants are knocked from their horses during a jousting tournament where the losers are taken off the field on carts (evidently they are severely injured).
  • Belasco threatens Calvin with a knife but is stopped.



    • Reviewed June 2, 1996

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