Between Messi from “Anatomy of a Fall” and Arthur here, maybe the Academy should introduce a Best Animal Actor award…

“Arthur the King” is based on the true story of a stray dog that follows a team of endurance racers (Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman) along their 435 mile competition in the Dominican Republic; Simon Cellan Jones directs.

Mark Wahlberg has had an interesting start to the third-act of his career. After a bunch of quality dramas like “Boogie Nights” and “The Departed,” as well as some effective action films like “Planet of the Apes” and “The Italian Job” in the 2000s, he then transitioned into comedies (“The Other Guys” and “Ted”) and based on true stories action flicks (“Patriots Day,” “Lone Survivor,” and a few other Peter Berg joints). Recently, Wahlberg has voiced his desire to get away from R-rated films and make more wholesome, family-friendly content, and if they are going to be anything like “Arthur the King” then he could do a lot worse.

I’ve typically liked Mark Wahlberg and his films so long as he is putting in some effort, I think that his role in “The Departed” is one of my favorite supporting performances of all-time, and I have a soft spot for the likes of “Shooter.” He has plenty of duds (2021’s “Infinite” and the first “Daddy’s Home,” just to name two), but I’m always interested-enough in his films. In “Arthur” he is solid as Michael Light, a career racer who is making one last shot at finally earning a win. Wahlberg is able to give the inspirational speeches and deliver the cool-guy dry humor when he has to, and has some good play with his teammates.

Simu Liu is essentially playing his Ken character from “Barbie,” a looks-driven egomaniac, and has a few funny moments himself, while also getting to mix the comedy of “Barbie” with the physical acts of “Shang-Chi.” The dog(s) that play Arthur do pretty good holding their own with their human companions, running alongside them and dishing out some effective whimpers, growls, and puppy dog eyes.

The film is never edge-of-your-seat intense, but director Simon Cellar Jones (who directed Wahlberg in last year’s “The Family Plan”) stages some nice set pieces. I didn’t feel any real emotions while watching this, no lump in my throat with the quiet moments or urge to stand up and cheer when Wahlberg tries to rally his team, but I also was never bored and appreciate the film’s ability to give a sense of scale to the distance and terrain being covered. There are a few moments of accidental comedy that I’m surprised made it past development, much less the final cut, but in a way it makes the film endearing.

“Arthur the King” is the kind of film that feels like it would have been a Disney Channel Original Movie had it come out in 2006, which may be a positive or a detriment, depending on your view old old-school, “they don’t make em like they used to” cinema. I’m sure dog people and adventure-seekers will eat it up more than the average filmgoer, though I think if you just are looking for some entertainment that can be easily enjoyed by all ages, “Arthur” may not take the gold but it does its job well-enough to make it to the podium.

Critics Rating: 6/10