Today’s quick review: The King and I. To help modernize his country, the King of Siam (Martin Vidnovic) sends for Anna Leonowens (Miranda Richardson), an English schoolteacher. Anna sets about teaching the King and his children about life outside their palace. But her efforts are opposed by the Kralahome (Ian Richardson), the King’s treacherous second-in-command, who tries to paint the King as barbaric to gt the British to overthrow him.
The King and I is an animated musical based on the play of the same name. The King and I tells the story of the King of Siam and Anna, two people from different cultures who find common ground. The premise has some potential: a cultural exchange that highlights the tensions between tradition and new ideas in modernizing countries. However, the execution of the premise leaves much to be desired, with none of the tact needed to make the story work.
The King and I suffers from being animated. Animation opens the door to all kinds of distractions that add nothing to the story and only serve to pull focus away from what really matters: the relationship between Anna and the King. Intelligent animal sidekicks, cartoonish slapstick, fanciful action sequences, and annoying supporting characters all undermine the strongest points of the story without offering anything worthwhile in return.
Even without these distractions, The King and I tends to sell itself short. The King is an imperious man torn between centuries of tradition and his desire to do what is best for his people. Rather than play up this dynamic, the movie opts for cheap jokes and comedic quirks that make him hard to take seriously. The musical numbers suffer a similar fate, pleasant songs that are dropped in without preamble and forgotten just as quickly.
The King and I is a movie that does not know how to play to its strengths. Its colorful cartoon antics will give it a shallow appeal for younger audiences, but nearly everything that could make the movie special is given short shrift. As such, The King and I is a difficult movie to watch. The music and characters may strike some viewers the right way, but general audiences will find that the movie falls short of the mark.
For another musical about a teacher who changes a stern man’s life for the better, try The Sound of Music. For another musical in the same vein, try Mary Poppins. For a more insightful and emotional story about royalty getting to see the outside world, try Roman Holiday.
[4.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160429/). I give it a 5.0 for miscalibrated humor and a shortchanged story.