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Merlin and the Sword
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by Lions Gate/Vestron
Sales Rank: 15230
Price: $14.98
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"Merlin And The Sword" has its good points and its bad points. Unfortunately the bad points are soooooooo bad, they make it hard to even notice the good points. Which is a shame, because in its better moments, this made-for-TV movie brings to life some lesser-known characters from the Arthurian legends.<p>BAD POINTS: Dyan Cannon is unbelievably awful as a bimbo American tourist who stumbles upon Merlin's cave, thus setting the plot (or rather, the flashback) into motion. Candice Bergen is not much better in a one-note (rhymes with "witch") performance as Morgan Le Fay, and Joseph Blatchley is too dweeby to take seriously as Mordred.<p>The Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot triangle is handled very poorly. As King Arthur, Malcolm McDowell seems more like a preoccupied travelling salesman than like a king. Meanwhile Guinevere lounges around the castle all day in her underwear (I'm not making this up) complaining about having nothing to do, except when she's being abducted by grunting barbarians, which happens not once but twice.<p>Rosalyn Landor has a lovely melodious voice and tries her best to bring some dignity to Guinevere, but her efforts backfire: she comes off as so much more mature and worldly-wise than the still-wet-behind-the-ears Lancelot (played by a very young and skinny Rupert Everett) that their scenes together remind you of Mrs. Robinson seducing Benjamin in "The Graduate." Icky.<p>Add some incredibly bad guy-in-a-rubber-suit monsters and I think that about sums up the bad points.<p>GOOD POINTS: Edward Woodward makes a great Merlin, probably my favorite movie Merlin of all time. He conveys an air of power, authority, and playfulness, all at once. Lucy Gutteridge is also memorable as Niniane, young, open-hearted, inexperienced, but also very strong. The scenes from their magical courtship are charming (if only Dyan Cannon wouldn't keep butting in)<p>Also good are Patrick Ryecart and Ann Thornton in a subplot about the courtship of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell. This episode has quite a bit of charm, too bad it goes by so fast.<p>With the exception of some dopey-looking helmets, the costumes are for the most part very handsome. And the locations (the movie was shot at Stonehenge and in Yugoslavia) are truly gorgeous.<p>If you can ignore the prevailing badness, there are moments in this movie that are like a fairytale come to life. Too bad they're only moments.
Viewer Reviews
Forewarned is forearmed. I read several reviews of this movie, before I watched it, that cautioned me it would be disapointing. The reviewers, without saying so in as many words, let me know that this movie was low budget when filmed. I must add that many folks at home could reproduce all the action seen in this movie with a couple of video cameras and two VCRs.
Now, having understood all that, I watched the flick with a strong intent to laugh at its sad quality. Rather like one would with "The Rocky Horrer Picture Show." It worked.
I roared with delight as the undead knight sliced a large chunk from a huge boulder with a swipe of his deadly blade, yet his blows were blocked by six inch diameter saplings. I huffed along with Lancellot as the lanky youth bent iron bars with his feet while hanging upside down.
Watch this movie with the purpose of finding fault and your family will have a wonderful evening.
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Merlin and the Sword
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