Merlín

The Arthur legend has been done countless times, generally from the viewpoint of Arthur, but Merlin takes the rarely-used angle of Arthur's most trusted advisor. Also refreshing is the use of the conflict between Christianity and the previous, pagan religions to add a new take on the tales. The special effects are stunning, and they even coaxed a great performance out of Martin Short! Several such great achievements make this one of the best.

This movie rules! I don't know how many times I've seen it, but it has to be over 30. I think all of us fans should get together and start a cult like Rocky Horror, for this film! I love the graphics for this movie, and Miranda Richardson, who I normally try to avoid when it comes to movies, was absolutely wonderful, and Martin Short was cool. Anyone who is in to fantasy movies should see it.

In most of the other "king arthur" movies, Merlin usually plays a very useless and small role. But this movie is all about Merlin and Magick. Sam Neill is a really good actor. He is playing a very,intelligent,handsome(!) and pretty mighty sorcerer who is fighting for the justice and goodness. Especially Jason Done who is playing Mordred, he is a very good actor and probably he was the most evil guy in this movie. Miranda Richardson did also a good job as Mab. She was supposed to be evil but i have never seen such a good looking woman. No matter how evil she is. Martin Short (Frik) was funny as usual. Rutger Hauer had a small role in this movie but i liked his acting and the character Lord Vortigern. I cant say enough good things about the players. They were all bright and intelligent. I have seen this movie for dozens times. And i dreamed about the movie the whole week when i first watched it. And also, i think zillions of people (especially teenagers) tried to learn more about magicK and sorcery after watching this movie. watch it and learn why =) Damn, i was gonna forget Isabella Rosellini. She was pretty PRETTY but i somehow did not like her acting. I think it has just something to do with her weak character.

How do you pack together centuries of legends about the great King Arthur? It might seem like an impossible task, but Merlin finds a way to make it work: they change the focus.

I have always been a huge fan of the King Arthur legends, and I am familiar with most of them. Some films only cover portions of the legends, such as the disappointing "First Knight" and the stomach-churning Disney crud "Sword and the Stone." I was really wanting a film to come out that would cover all the important legends of the epic story, yet I realized it was a nearly impossible task. An excellent early eighties film did it, which was called "Excalibur," and I was hoping that they could do it again, with a more nineties zing to it, what with the new special effects coming out nowadays that could no doubt enhance the legends onscreen. Before "Merlin" came out, the only real films to come out in the nineties featuring Arthur were "First Knight" (which eradicated all myth and magic and put the legends on the status of Chick Flick) and "A Kid in King Arthur's Court" (which I won't even bring up).

Enter "Merlin." It covers everything, from the affair of Lancelot and Guinevere, to the Lady at the Lake, to the birth of the sword Excalibur, to Morgan la Fay and Mordred, and they even throw in the Lady of Shallot. And the cool thing is, they make it work so that it doesn't seem overplotted. Merlin is also given a side story which is beautiful and well-constructed, about his birth and his love life. It all is webbed together well, and the climax and characters are wonderfully painted.

Before this film, I saw Merlin only as a secondhand character, who is Arthur's mentor and friend, kind of like the world's first Obe Wan Kinobe. But now, I see him in an all new light, and to say the least, it is very effective, and I can say that it is the finest Arthur film ever made (though "Excalibur" is so close, it's barely worth a comparison). If you are interesting in Arthur, or if you are an Arthur fan who was discouraged that there were no good films about his awesome, thought-provoking legends, I urge you to watch this film. It will move you in a way few films can!

10 out of 10!

Growing up watching the "Hallmark Hall Of Fame" TV movies, I was very surprised by the time and expense that obviously went into this Hallmark production. Odd camera angles, wonderful effects, brilliant color all add to this magical story. Any director facing such a lush story as this with just a limited amount of time has to make cuts here and adjustments there to make the story have some sense. The first half of the movie concerns the birth and growth of Merlin, ther second half with the birth and growth of Arthur. The friendship between Merlin and Arthur really does come across in a way that few "King Arthur" movies have shown. The casting of major celebrities in this movie were all on the money, Martin Short is surprisingly good in his role as Flick, Queen Mab's servant, a creature that lives outside of time. You see him suddenly switching costumes and accents as he does various things. The role reminde me loosely of Tony Randall in "Seven Faces Of Dr. Lao". Very much recommended if you are a fan of Arthurian fantasy or just like a good epic.