With a film like Arthur the King, everyone will have the same question: What happens to the dog? Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, and Nathalie Emmanuel lead Simon Cellan Jones‘ new film, here's what goes down.
What's Arthur the King about?
Arthur the King depicts the story of Mikael Lindnord. Mark Wahlberg plays Mikael, renamed Michael Light in the film. Years after an embarrassing loss, Michael returns to racing and embarks on a 435-mile race in the Dominican Republic.
Along the way, Michael meets a stray dog. The dog follows his team no matter what. In turn, he becomes an honorary member of the team and helps them navigate the grueling race.
Simu Liu and Nathalie Emmanuel star as Leo and Olivia, two members of Michael's team.
Ending explained
One of the later parts of the race includes kayaking over two miles. An official tells Michael that he can't bring the dog, whom he has now named Arthur, on this part of the race. As a dog, he could easily fall off of the kayak, which barely holds two humans.
This breaks Michael's heart, and he says goodbye to his canine friend. However, Arthur is determined to join his team, and he swims his way towards him. This exhausts the dog, who begins sinking underwater.
Bear in mind, Michael's team has the leg up on their rivals. They are a shoo-in to win, something one of their rivals notes, if they keep going. Earlier in the film, Leo has some beef with Michael due to their last race. Michael advised his team wrong, and they ended up stranded on land and lost in embarrassing fashion. That's why Leo was hesitant to rejoin Michael for this race
And despite Leo's initial hesitance, him and Michael turn back and save Leo.
A man and his dog
Michael's team ultimately falls short of their goal of winning. They come in second place, just behind their fierce rivals. However, they acknowledge Michael's team as a formidable foe, also acknowledging that they should have won had they not turned back for Arthur.
But Arthur is in bad health. When the team first meets him, they note that his back looks like it's been beaten. Arthur was an abused stray dog with a heart of gold. There aren't many humans as loyal as Arthur the King.
Michael wants to take him home to America, but there are a few roadblocks ahead of him. First, the Dominican Republic government would need to sign off on this. More importantly, Arthur is in bad health.
After taking him to a animal hospital, they advise Michael that Arthur is broken beyond repair. They could give him drugs to lessen the pain, but surgery is seemingly out of the question.
This breaks Michael's heart, who sleeps in the street with Arthur. After Leo finds them, they make their way to the airport. Upon landing in America, Michael is met by his wife, Helena Light (Juliet Rylance), and a high-profile animal doctor.
They do operate on Arthur, but it's initially unclear if he makes. The film fades to black a moment before picking up with Michael going on a run in the mountains.
As he runs over a hill, he is joined by Arthur, who looks to be in great health. He's put on some weight and looks like a healthy, happy dog.
Arthur the King has the perfect feel-good ending. Say what you want about the previous 90 minutes, the final five will bring you to tears. As director Jones told me, “if you've got a dog, you have to see the movie.”
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