In Arthur the Great, Mark Wahlberg takes on the role of an adventure racer who has an unexpected encounter during the fierce competition. In theaters from Thursday.
Mark Wahlberg is at home in action and adventure cinema and most recently served the genre alongside Spider-Man star Tom Holland in Uncharted. In his new film Arthur the Great, he now plunges into adventure once again. This time, however, the story is not based on a video game, but on a true story. And it’s so incredible that it’s definitely worth going to the movies
Mark Wahlberg has to cross the jungle in Arthur the Great – and finds a friend for life
Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) has already won many world championships as a professional adventure racer, but has never been able to take home the victory. After a few years of involuntary retirement, during which he has to cope with a particularly bitter defeat, he wants to give it one last go.
With a team of old acquaintances (Simu Liu and Ali Suliman) and a strong newcomer (Nathalie Emmanuel), he will line up at the 2018 Adventure Racing World Championships in the Dominican Republic. Over the course of ten days, they will have to cover around 700 kilometers through the jungle and compete in the disciplines of running, mountain biking, climbing and paddling
(Mark Wahlberg as adventure racer Michael Light)
When the competition demands everything from Michael and his team, they suddenly come across a battered-looking street dog in the middle of the jungle. Under the name Arthur the Great, the animal becomes a symbol of the competition for the racers and makes them question what really matters …
Streaming tip: Spectacular adventure film with groundbreaking effects at Disney+
Arthur the Great: The heroic dog really existed
The film is based on the autobiographical novel Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home* by Swedish adventure racer Mikael Lindnord. Lindnord took part in the 2014 Adventure Racing World Championships in Ecuador and wrote down his incredible encounter with the street dog Arthur in the novel that changed his life and made international headlines.
(Mark Wahlberg in Arthur the Great)
Aside from the many adventurous and action-packed scenes of the competition, which generate plenty of suspense despite the strong clichés, it is the knowledge of this true story that makes Arthur the Great a unique cinematic experience. At the latest when the credits roll and images of the real Mikael and Arthur are shown, the movie unfolds its emotional power – and not just for animal lovers.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Arthur the Great currently has a rating of 69 percent positive press reviews. Audiences, on the other hand, are far more gracious, giving the film an exuberant audience score of 97 percent.
