wildebeest-2

This film was surprisingly beautifully shot. The script wasn't bad although there were a few cheesy moments. But you didn't really notice because the camera work and direction were so lovely. It was a good story - I found this film to be a surprising gem because I normally don't like 'chick flick' films or love stories. I wondered whether the director being Oriental had anything to do with the way it was shot because I thought there were definite Eastern influences in the compositions and images. It was gorgeous but not ostentatious. Tasteful, beautiful, refreshing.

I saw this movie as a teenager when it first came out in the cinema. I was totally entranced and obsessed by it and I think i used to watch it every few months on video. Going back to it now as an adult I can see its flaws, but it still charms.

As other people have said, the special effects look old now. Even at the time I remember being slightly disappointed by the two-headed dragon, and there were other flaws I picked up even in my state of obsession.

The costumes in this movie are pretty good all-round. I never fail to be cut the bone with terrifying shivers when I see Queen Bavmorda wrapped feet to neck in bandages under her robe. Gruesome.

The script is probably both the strength and the weakness of the movie. There are some fantastic one-liners in the script that still leave me helpless with laughter even now. Never has the word 'Beer!' sounded so hilarious! I won't quote any more of them, discover them for yourself. Having said that, many of the characterisations were quite weak. Our hero Madmartigan himself does not always make sense though he is very funny. Sorsha is not a particularly strong character either, though she is so beautiful and so 'tough' that it's easy to forgive and go along for the ride.

I always found the score entrancing, I think it echoed the heroic, magical, quiet and terrifying nature of so many different events extremely well. It's worth buying on its own.

Some people have mentioned that the brownies are very annoying but I have to say I never found them so, they just make me laugh. They are only there for comic relief anyway - 'You? what did you do? Just hung around and eat our eggs!' The only character I found annoying was Cherlindrea, queen of the fairies. She seemed too wierd to be a good character, I always found her slightly alarming.

So really, to sum up, there's a lot of laughs, some great chase scenes, fantastic scenery, a beautiful heroine and hunky (if slightly bemusing) hero. An evil witch and her henchmen, a lot of magic, and plenty of fights. Suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride.

(Incidentally if you've read my reviews of 'First Knight' or 'Merlin', I have always thought that Gavin O'Hillerhy, who played Madmartigan's mate Airk Thaughbaer, would make the BEST king Arthur ever. There's a great shot of him with his sword, near the end of the film, in the tent just before the final battle - he looks every inch the king.)

When it comes to telling the Arthurian legend, this movie is really rubbish. There are so many trite and cliched points to it, that it would be hard to list them all, and my review would probably not be published if I did.

The Arthurian legend is a long story, well in need of four hours to tell, but why on earth this version devoted so much time to things that were never in the original legends anyway is beyong me. The story of Nimue and Merlin was an interesting interpretation, if too far-fetched for my liking. The inclusion of Auntie 'A' was, to my mind, contrived and cliched. In fact much of the script was disappointing.

Having said all that, the acting was really not bad, and most of the costumes were very well done indeed. EXCEPT, I am compelled to point out, those of Frick, and Queen Mab, the character played by the normally illustrious and wholly worthwhile Miranda Richardson. We are treated to a beautifully done-out and mostly historicallly accurate 10th century court, and then, a Disney-esque, overly made-up and totally fake-looking evil Queen Mab. Despite the fact that she is from the 'Otherworld', it's an insult, especially when the lady of the lake, also a fantasy character, was done so beautifully.

I did however like the relationship built between Frick and Morgan, it was a nice touch and mostly sensitively handled. Once again however it was completely extraneous to any shred of the original tale.

I was disappointed with some of the casting. While Rutger Hauer and Isabella Rosselini looked the part, their accents were offputting. Arthur looked the part as the boy king, but his youth could not be disguised despite the character growing older. Lancelot and Mordred were too much like American soap-opera stars who had grown their hair. Later in the movie, new characters were added at such a rate, and they all looked so similar - attractive, regal, dressed in rich robes - that it was hard to tell them apart, especially when each had so little screen time.

Anyway enough of my ranting. The movie did have good points. Sam Neill wasn't bad though I'm surprised at his agreeing to appear in such a script. Isabella did a pretty good job. But really, if you want to watch an Arthur movie, watch 'Excalibur', or be done with movies, and go read Patrick Cornwell's 'Winter King' series.