Merlin

Yes, it's a king Arthur story, but it's mainly about Merlin, hence the name of the film. But that what makes it a great film, you get to see all of Merlin's life, from birth to… well, no exactly death, since he's a wizard… I better not spoil the end…

Samuel Neill plays Merlin, the sorcerer, and Miranda Richardson plays the pagan priestess, Mab. She also does the voice for the Lady of the Lake. The cast also contains Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Short and the voice of James Earl Jones for the Mountain King. In front of Merlin's eyes, Arthur (Curran) grows up and pulls Excalibur out of the stone, like the original legend. But before Arthur, Merlin lives his own life. At a young age, he falls in love Nimue (Rossellini), but his love does not stop for her even at an old age. He goes through many struggles with many kings, but finally Arthur is his success.

I got this movie when I was pretty young, and my family and I have also liked this movie. So you should go find it and see it. Yeah, it's worth-watching!

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.

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.

It does not rely on special effects, though the ones it has are quite impressive. As mentioned in the reference it relies on good story-telling. You can also add a bunch of very vivid and weird characters each of whom is an "out-of-controller". The voice of Mab is extremely sweet and unforgettable. The transient effects are very creative. Like for example when a medieval soldier drops dead and the blood makes the snow change its colour around his body in a hyperbolic manner.

It feels like deep satisfaction to have it on DVD in one's home collection. Celtic legends, runes, the Lady of the Lake, Excalibur, and king Arthur – there is much talking about all that stuff now and then and here is a chance to see the whole story properly told.

There is also a strange feeling that it's not just a fairy-tale but a kind of history lesson as well. Even if it's a mistake to say so, this film is not historically empty.

Easily, it is an 8 out of 10. Thanks for attention.

Will tell readers of this review upfront that I love the Authur story, there is something visceral about it, something that speaks simultaneously to the best and worst of mankind and human nature.

So, even as a prolific critic on the IMDb, I am going to be especially critical of any attempt to do the story justice.

That said:

1. If you love your ARTHUR go online and find a used copy of THE FOREVER KING by Murphy and Cochrane. Yes, I know, it is a book that has never yet been set to film. But it might be. It is wonderful.

2. Your next stop is the recent TV series MERLIN with Bradley James. It is really amazing. Uneven but amazing. And there are single scenes in that series which, when noticed and appreciated, are better than the entire movie (miniseries) which is the topic of this review.

3. Your next stop is Boorman's Excalibur. Boorman as director is insane but the film remains a "vision" that is worth exploring.

4. This strange miniseries is your last stop. It is wildly uneven with some very poor writing in places and some atrocious acting in other places. In spite of these flaws -- remember, I am an ARTHUR junkie -- I have seen it several times over the years. It contain possibly the best performances ever given by both Martin Short and Miranda Richardson. Richardson's wonderful facial features and strange voice skills have never been used to better effect, nor likely ever will.