When Allie Pennington enrols at Avalon High, she expects her school experience to be much as it always is. A six or twelve month pitstop while her parents, both scholars of medieval literature, work out a contract at a local university and then move on.
Allie's expectations are wrong for two reasons. First, because her parents have decided it is time to spend a few years in one place, so their daughter can have a stable preparation for college. And second; because Avalon High is steeped in Arthurian lore and some of the student body seem to bear an uncanny resemblance to figures from Camelot.
Could an ancient prophecy really be pointing to her dreamy classmate Will as the reincarnation of King Arthur himself? And could his rebellious step-brother equally be the evil Mordred? It seems crazy, but all the pieces seem to fit. The only question seems to be, can Allie save this reincarnation of the Round Table from the fate that befell the original?
Avalon High is based on the Meg Cabot novel of the same name. I've read the book, and much as with the Maze Runner movie, this is one of those relatively rare cases where the film is a significant improvement on the book. Cabot's novel has literally no twists or surprises; it's just A-B-C-D, following the most obvious for the plot.
This is not to say that the plot of the movie isn't frequently obvious; the script doesn't just sign-post upcoming developments, it puts them on floodlit billboards surrounded by blinking lights. But it picks a more interesting set of revelations to unfold, and at least pretends that other outcomes are possible. If nothing else, that allows the audience to feel smart if they guess what's coming. Whereas the book tells you "this is what is going to happen" ... and then just has it happen.
The movie is definitely helped by a likeable young cast. They gamely take on the sometimes unsubtle dialogue and chintzy costuming of the film, and generally make a good fist of it. It's no surprise to me that they've largely gone on to enjoy solidly successful careers in film & TV.
Ultimately, Avalon High is not a particularly innovative or deep piece of film-making, but it is capably executed, breezy fun that tidily ticks off the beats of its plot. Harmless family adventure with a few chuckles along the way.
The movie is definitely helped by a likeable young cast. They gamely take on the sometimes unsubtle dialogue and chintzy costuming of the film, and generally make a good fist of it. It's no surprise to me that they've largely gone on to enjoy solidly successful careers in film & TV.
Ultimately, Avalon High is not a particularly innovative or deep piece of film-making, but it is capably executed, breezy fun that tidily ticks off the beats of its plot. Harmless family adventure with a few chuckles along the way.
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