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Dir: Joe Cornish (PG, 120 mins)
Eight years after the excellent Attack The Block, a lo-fi sci-fi horror that made a star of John Boyega, writer/director Joe Cornish unleashes his second feature, a kid-friendly take on Arthurian legend. Louis Ashborne Serkis (yes, Andy Serkis’ son) plays Alex, a bullied London kid who manages to pull a sword out of a concrete block which just happens to be Excalibur. He is an Arthurian nut and with the help of friend Bedders (Dean Chaumoo), sets out exploring why he has been chosen to have this scared weapon. Along the way they meet Merlin, who takes several forms: a slapstick Angus Imrie, a world-weary Led Zep t-shirt-wearing Patrick Stewart and an owl, who informs them that evil witch Morgana (a fun Rebecca Ferguson) has awoken and must be defeated before the upcoming solar eclipse. They are trained in the ways of chivalry and have several CGI-action sequences before facing off in a final battle. Good-hearted 80s throwback fun while it lasts, with a Brexit subtext. Opens Feb 16