Rating: 
Summary: Horrible cinematography.......B movie!
Review: I have read the above reviews and find it very hard to believe I watched the same movie as the others. I found it to be horribly filmed, with a B movie flavor!
Rating: 
Summary: Avoid Hallmark ed. Otherwise a great experience
Review: No, it doesn't follow earlier versions of the myth. So what? Most of those myths were written 500+ years after Arthur would have lived anyways, so what is wrong with further revising? This is easily the best "TV" movie I've seen and surpasses many big screen efforts. BTW you can like this and Excalibur too. A star withheld b/c Hallmark chopped it up to get it on 1 tape.
Rating:
Summary: Edited Version?
Review: I had the orginal that I recorded off of the television, but due to a storm that night it did not come in good at all. Today I seen Merlin at Wal-Mart and decided to but it. Much to my dissapointment, of the version that I bought, it had edited a lot of the TV version out of it. Somethings that I can remember was: when Merlin was learning about "Hand Wizard", his 1st conversation with the lady of the lake, Merlin visiting King Uther for the first time, the entire scene when Authur became king and the one Knight that would not accept him. There was just a lot missing from the video. If it says it is 140 minutes long. This is the edited version, please look for the version that has the entire movie. True I have Excalibur, and the movies do not excatly go along with each other. But the actors are great, Sam Neil, and Marinda Richardson did a wonderful job as Merlin and Queen Mab. I just reccomend that buyers be cautious of the version that they are buying.
Rating:
Summary: Arthurian Legend NOT FACT
Review: This is outstanding entertainment for TV. I highly recommend it. It has it all.. good acting, action, romance, comedy, special effects, and a good tale. Children will love it and adults will to. The majority of detractors are bemoaning that it doesn't follow the set pattern of LEGEND. Can any one say that Merlin or Arthur did exactly this or that? There is no proof that any of this is true. Where is the facts? Schollars have an 'idea' of what happened but can they even say what year Arthur was king with certainty? Excalibur is the greatest Arthurian movie and it is a must to watch but Merlin is also a good movie IF you have an open mind and aren't elevating Arthur and Merlin to the level of religion. Buy this for an entertaining time not a study in legend but make sure it is NOT the edited version. The 2 cassette original length format is the only way to see this adventure! Choose carefully.
Rating: 
Summary: A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!
Review: Alright. I've read enough close-minded, negative reviews about this masterpiece of a movie. I just watched Merlin about a month ago and ever since then it has become my favorite movie ever made. I have watched it about 5 times so far, and can watch it a zillion times more. The opening scene alone, where Merlin is riding his horse over the snow covered landscape is enough to take your breath away. The scenery, special effects and rememorable musical score are amazing. The cast is top-notch and each one does an excellent job at portraying their character. I am a serious actress myself and have been for years and I can tell you that there is not a single flaw in anyone's acting ability. It is a breathtaking, fabulous movie that leaves you with a knowledge of Arthurian legend, wonderful memories and a smile on your face. Go watch MERLIN now!
Rating:
Summary: the best movie ever
Review: this movie was great for teenagers but a lot of adults probably wouldnt like it. if you like far out mythical things you will love this movie
Rating:
Summary: Horrible beyond belief.
Review: This is the worst "Arthur" film ever! The poor acting and screenwriting doesn't even come close to measuring up to the shakespearian-caliber performances of the shakespearian-trained cast of Excalibur. And, for those of you who feel that this is not a racially motivated film, maybe it's because you're not of Asian descent and are insensitive to racial knocks against any other ethnic group other than your own. However, replace the racist "chinaman" crack with one about Africans, Jews, Pollacks, or Irish and I guarantee that you'll instantly switch from being a "Merlin lover" to lobbying for the boycott of the film and its producers! FYI, the racial stereotypes portrayed in "Merlin" are actually the ingenuity of Anglo-Americans in the latter part of the 19th century, not 5th century Celtic Wales. That's how historically innacurate "Merlin" is. I'm surprised that director Steve Barron didn't even bother to throw in a scene with Leonardo DiCapprio and Kate Winslet dining at a McDonald's restaurant on the Millenium Falcon. There is also talk in Wales(the birthplace of Merlin) of banning the film. The real Merlin is a national hero here, and the film is nothing more than deragatory to Welsh-Celtic & Celtic culture in general. For a true Arthurian experience I would suggest that you all go and see Boorman's Excalibur instead. Unlike "Merlin", "Excalibur" is a dark, rich, and historically accurate telling of the mythology. In other words, it's not for the addle-minded!
Rating:
Summary: I can hardly believe this was a made for TV series!
Review: I'm usually not one for made for TV series, but this one was truelly exceptional! The visual effects were fantastic! The acting was excellent! And the story was, well... complete! I mean, this variation of the classic 'Merlin' fable takes us from Merlin's birth, to his elderly years, and without dropping the viewer for a minute!What to say about this film? Let me sum it all up with this last line: Humor, Romance, Adventure, Action, Magic, Martin Short, and... wow.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but inaccurate
Review: I will say that the visual effects of this film were, indeed stunning, and the acting was reasonably good. However, I found the story to be EXTREMELY inaccurate in regards to the real legend. Yes, Merlin was mysterious, and there can be some liberties taken there. But I cannot condone many of the other changes they made. First off: there was neither a Mab nor a Flic, and Morgan was not made beautiful via a spell. Lancelot married Elaine AFTER he came to court- she fell in love with him and got him to marry her by tricking him into sleeping with her, thinking she was Guinevere. Also, Nimue didn't plan on placing herself and Merlin together in a sort of perpetual honeymoon- he, too, was tricked, so she could take his power. Besides, they didn't fall in love as teenagers! One of the premises of the legend is that as an ageing man, Merlin fell in love with a young girl. And of course she never became scarred. So, even though it was well arranged and visually pleasing, I'm not sure I would recommend this if you care about the accuracy of the storyline.
Rating:
Summary: -----
Review: I thought the movie was very good, though I can understand why they'd prefer Excalibur. I've seen both movies and I liked this one the best. Maybe because I didn't watch Merlin at one AM like I did Excalibur. I ENJOYED watching the actors and thought most did very well (Martin Short, Miranda Richardson, etc.)
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