‘King, my little king’: A friendship for the whole family

Beyond the feel-good comedies and prestigious proposals, French cinema has found a vein with family films. Taking advantage of the fact that Hollywood seems to be aiming to keep this target at home, with proposals designed for streaming, the French industry combines not only family cinema with adventure films, but also introduces an ecological message and animals as protagonists. Thus comes ‘King, my little king’which once again recalls the passion aroused by the big feline that is the lion.

Based on an original idea by Jean-Baptiste Andrea, who switched to family cinema after being behind ‘La gran nada’ and ‘La confrérie des larmes’, ‘King, my little king’ has some elements that are very reminiscent of Gilles de Maistre’s animal rights proposalsas the plot has a lion cub who escaped when it was discovered that he was a victim of illegal trafficking in exotic animals (something that summon ‘The Wolf and the Lion’) and the encounter between the young lion and a teenager who decides to take him to a lion shelter in Guinea (Impossible not to remember ‘Mia and the White Lion’ in this section).

Though, of course, its premise is reminiscent of the two blockbusters mentioned, “King, my little king” has its own essence. It has it thanks to a frantic pace that transforms this familiar proposition into an action thriller, with a continuous escape of the little girl, who has to evade the authorities, who behave like villains, since the intention is to put the animal to sleep, presumably representing a threat. Here, it is Thibault de Montalembert (expert in rogue roles thanks to ‘Call My Agent’) who has the mission to play the role of the antagonist, he does it in a charismatic way, as he is an agent of environmental protection who is against the decision of the their leaders to kill the feline.

Quality family cinema, one of those missing on the big screen

With the introduction of the figure of the grandfather, embodied by the veteran Gérard Darmon, which provides a comic element and that the protagonists end up being two brothers, correctly played by Lou Lambrecht and Léo Lorléac’h, opposites; ‘King, my little king’ manages to be extraordinary entertainment for the whole family, dynamic and with the criticism of illegal animal trafficking, which obviously contains an educational part for the little ones of the house.

Once again, French cinema shows its power to create powerful family productions that show the extraordinary bond between a child and an animal. Yes, ‘King, my little king’ follows in the vein of the aforementioned ‘The Wolf and the Lion’ and ‘Mia and the White Lion’, but it has that desire to excel, with a child drama behind it, how well it works has seen in ‘Vicky’s secret’, ‘Zoé and Tempest’ or ‘Flying together’. Quality family cinema, the kind that gives satisfaction to see on the big screen.

Note: 7

The best: The rhythm it has, which allows the action to flow.

Worse: Also remember other similar proposals with children and lion cubs as protagonists.