Life of a King

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Life of a King

PG-13

Released Jan 17, 2014

1h 41m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

38%

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13 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Determined to help at-risk youths avoid the mistakes he made, an ex-con (Cuba Gooding Jr.) forms a chess club to offer them an alternative to running with street gangs.

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Tim Grierson

Screen International

Unquestionably well-meaning, this tale of an ex-con who teaches some inner-city teens about discipline through chess treads incredibly familiar emotional terrain.

Jan 17, 2014

Full Review

Christy Lemire

RogerEbert.com

Solid performances-especially from star Cuba Gooding Jr.-elevate the film slightly above the familiar trappings of its genre.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 17, 2014

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Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

An effective, even heartwarming, tale of one man's commitment to teaching that playing by the rules is more important than winning.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 16, 2014

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Julian Lytle

Punch Drunk Critics

All in all this is a good movie.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 11, 2020

Full Review

Sandie Angulo Chen

Common Sense Media

Sentimental, formulaic tale of an inspiring chess teacher.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 4, 2014

Full Review

Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

The result has a predictably wholesome and formulaic structure, yet is redeemed through solid performances from Gooding and the youngsters, and a heartfelt sincerity that rings true.

Jan 31, 2014

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Audience Member

A very good movie 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/03/24

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The R

An emotional filme what show us how the life is a very big chessboard.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/18/24

Full Review

Loved this movie so I was very disappointed to see the low critic scores. Why do we even have critics? Who even cares what they say? The audience score is what matters not some wanna be movie expert without a real job. Eliminate the critics.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/26/24

Full Review

K W

I loved this movie. I love teacher movies like To Sir with Love. This one has a slightly different premise and found cool moments btw the teacher and students. Cuba Gooding Jr is a great actor. I can't wait to watch this one again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

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Andrea N

Es muy real, deja un buen mensaje a pesar de ser dura.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/06/23

Full Review

Diane B

This movie has been called formulaic and predictable but then so is life. We repeatedly cheer for an underdog who overcomes obstacles. It is not a negative to want someone to persevere and succeed against life's challenges. This movie is based on the life of Mr. Eugene Brown, a man who turned his life around and gave back to a community that really needed him. I was immediately engaged and pulling for Mr. Brown and the kids throughout this movie. I came away feeling good and hopeful after watching.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/23

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Jake Goldberger

Director

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Eugene Brown

Malcolm M. Mays

Tahime

Richard T. Jones

Perry

Paula Jai Parker

Gina Sanders

Carlton Byrd

Clifton

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Life of a King: Official Clip - The Radio Show

1:38

Life of a King: Official Clip - You Some Kinda Tough Guy?

2:09

Life of a King: Official Clip - One Mistake

2:13

Life of a King: Official Clip - The Final Round

2:12

Life of a King: Official Clip - They Think I'm Nuts

2:03

Life of a King: Official Clip - I Learned the Board

2:00

Life of a King: Official Clip - The Board of Life

2:13

Life of a King: Official Clip - The King is Your Life

2:09

Life of a King: Official Clip - Chess Club Cancelled

2:12

Life of a King: Official Clip - The Chess House

2:10

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Synopsis

Determined to help at-risk youths avoid the mistakes he made, an ex-con (Cuba Gooding Jr.) forms a chess club to offer them an alternative to running with street gangs.

Director: Jake Goldberger
Producer: Tatiana Kelly, Jim Young
Screenwriter: Jake Goldberger, Dan Wetzel, David Scott
Distributor: Millennium Entertainment
Production Co: Animus Films, Steakhaus Productions, Serena Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Drug Content|Brief Violent Images|All Involving Teens|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 17, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.7K
Runtime: 1h 41m

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