Merlin

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.

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.

I've seen Merlin twice now: once on TV when it originally aired as a 2 part mini-series, and a second time on the DVD I recently purchased. I must admit it was very pleasurable watching the movie without commercials!

I consider Merlin to be one of the greatest TV movies I have seen, even surpassing most theatrical movies as well. I especially liked the camera angles and intriguing scene changes. The story is captivating and blends many different version of the legend.

Highly recommended...

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!