SummaryLife of a King is the unlikely true story of Eugene Brown and his one-man mission to give inner-city kids of Washington D.C. something he never had — a future. He discovered a multitude of life lessons through the game of chess during his 18-year incarceration for bank robbery. After his release and re-entry into the workforce, Eugene developed a... Read More
Directed By:Jake Goldberger
Written By:Jake Goldberger, David Scott, Dan Wetzel
Life of a King
Metascore
Mixed or Average
52
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
29% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
57% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
14% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Jan 16, 2014
75
The film is an effective, even heartwarming, tale of one man’s commitment to teaching that playing by the rules is more important than winning.
Jan 14, 2014
63
Gooding brings just enough streetwise credibility to make Brown work.
Jan 16, 2014
60
Mr. Gooding’s performance and his complex charisma are fascinating to watch throughout.
Jan 17, 2014
50
Brown's story is a good one, though, and solid performances — especially from star Cuba Gooding Jr. — elevate the film slightly above the familiar trappings of its genre.
Jan 16, 2014
50
Life Of A King manages to sustain a hilariously over-the-top tone of naked sincerity from start to finish.
Jan 14, 2014
40
Life of a King isn't setting out to reinvent cinema, or even a genre, but rather just to be a moderately uplifting tale that makes watching chess interesting.
Jan 14, 2014
38
Any potential flights of invention or creativity are subordinate to the plain and emphatic delivery of life lessons.
Production Company:
- Animus Films
- Serena Films
- Steakhaus Productions
Release Date:Jan 17, 2014
Duration:1 h 40 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:Think before you move.
Awards
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 2 Nominations
