Rating: 
Summary: Spectacular Version of the Arthurian Legends
Review: I just adore this movie. First, its beautiful to watch. The costuming and scenery are simply breathtaking. Secondly, the music works so well with it. Music from Wagner's Ring Cycle, and Orff's (?) Carmina Burrana serve the story well. Third, it does a pretty good job of covering the entire Arthurian legend in just over a couple of hours. There are flaws: the armor, while beautiful, is ridiculously unrealistic; no one ever wore armor like that except for modern costume parties. And there are some very gory scenes. All in all, though, I give this my highest recommendation.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie-with some legendary flaws
Review: First , I love this movie. The locations, costumes and production values are first - rate. It does a good job of "telescoping" events which take decades to explore in Mort D'Arthur. The armor,though fanciful , has a heaviness to it and a great design, and looks well as Knights fight, eat , swim and make love(!) in it. Some of the performances , are first rate- though marred by overdubbing. Nicol Williamson and Patrick Stewart are standouts- although I'm not sure whether I liked Stewart because of his perfomance or just because he's Patrick Stewart. I think the battle of Camlann is particularly good , as well Percival's encounter with Morgana and Mordred. Now to some not-so -good things in this movie. First the music is incredibly overblown- the suddenly swelling music in scenes of passion almost seemed comic , as if the score was mocking the characters. I think the filmakers would have been better served with an original score rather than classical music. Unless carefully chosen( Woody Allen has a good knack for this) Classical music in movies tends to battle with the visuals rather than support it- the classical music composed to stand on it's own and fill in it's own emotional blanks. However the"Carmina Burana" is right on and rousing. There are also several not-so -special effects, including the Lady of the Lake and Merlin's imprisonment in the diamond Some of the perfomances are dreadful. Liam Neeson, so great in other movies, is the gooniest Gawaine imaginable- grunting dumbly and looking like he took one too many hits in the head on the tourney field-this coupled with his ignominious death-strapped mostly naked to a horse during the Grail Quest is a sad showing for one of Arthur's most noble Knights. There is a lot of needless bellowing throughout the movie- as if the actors are trying to come to terms with the out-size legends they are involved in. And Guinevere , though beautiful, seems lost in her doe-eyed acting. And yet with all this, it is a stunning movie. Arthur and Mordred battling in front of a blood-red sun, young Arthur pulling the Sword from the Stone , Arthur and Guinevere's marriage, Merlin's defeat of Morgana, Percival's escape from the tree-the air of magic and destiny throughout the story. This film brought the legends to life for me. For some other stand out Knight and fantasy movies- see Conan the Barbarian, The Knights of the Round Table(for a very different version of Mort D'Arthur), El Cid( the best trial by combat ever put to film) ,and two versions of Ivanhoe(Robert Taylor on the 50's and Anthony Andrews in the 80's)
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Summary: A dream to some... A NIGHTMARE TO OTHERS!
Review: This is an amazing rendition of the classic story of King Arthur. Twenty years after its release it is still one of the best sword & sorcery movies available. The costuming, music and acting are superb! Nichol Williamson (who stars as Merlin) truly makes this movie, but every actor was excellent. You will also see early performances of Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart (who still looks exactly the same). All the elements are here: Uther and Merlin. Guinevere and Lancelot. Camelot and The Round Table. The Quest for the Holy Grail. Mordred. The Lady in the Lake. And of course, the sword in the stone- Excalibur! And while this movie may not follow the legend of King Arthur precisely- it is still a great introduction! After all, the story had been changed dozens of times even before Malory took it as his own. There can be little doubt that Excalibur is a wonderful epic- one which certainly belongs in the collection of any serious fan of fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie for a good price
Review: I always love to watch english style movies particularly that involves knight fighting and magic. Excalibur offers the best for this two world. The story is remarkable and the flow of the movie was very well in place that make this movie very exciting to watch. Everyone knows about King Arthur through story telling and legend. Although the end is predictable but the film has created suspense and unpredictable outcome. Although most of the actors are not very popular but they acted well and liven the story. I watch Excalibur when I was in teen and have it copied on VHS.And since then I nearly watch them every week. I am glad to have the DVD copy and it has excellent picture and sound quality (although at some scene the sound is not that clear). I am not a good reviewer but I would like to say that this movie is worth having and I'm glad that I own one.
Rating:
Summary: Magic, mysticism, Merlin
Review: When this was released in 1981 I was enchanted; through the years I've wanted to watch it over and over, but rarely had the opportunity. Nostalgia: star one The thrill of the battles, the round table, the knights, Camelot, and the magic of Merlin were an aphrodisiac to a mystical creature such as I am. It was also a very progressive movie for the time. The scene in the forest as Guinevere and Lancelot lay together in the afterglow of love -- not during -- is (in my opinion) much better than the animalistic approach of today. I prefer imagination rather than the modern thought that nothing is taboo. Star two I watched the recent release, with a great deal more knowledge about the Arthurian legends, but this version did not recapture my fantasies. Details that are well covered in other books and movies are ignored in this one. However the magic and seduction that brought about the births of both Arthur and Mordred are well done. Like father, like son... The movie is filmed darkly, perhaps to capture the Dark Ages. The foreboding darkness seemed to be a "sorcerer's" trick that left me wondering if the sun ever shone in that world. The battle scenes with broad swords are well done, showing that it required a great deal of physical strength and stamina to be a knight or a warrior. Star three There is a ghastly scene with Morgan le Fey and Mordred, Arthur's illegitimate son. It is the dream or visionary sequence where all of the knights that are searching for the Holy Grail are "captured" and hung from dead trees in the land of the dead. This particular sequence works well with the dark mood of the entire film. Star four. The Lady of the Lake and the Sword in the Stone were magical, ethereal, entrancing. These were well done, perhaps better than any other movie about these legends. Star five. If you loved the time of magic, the crystal cave, the time of chivalry, Merlin -- then you should see this version.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, if uneven, version of the King Arthur legend
Review: Trying to cram Malory's "Le Morte De Arthur" into an almost 3 hour film can be a daunting task for any film-maker. Fortunately, John Boorman is up to the task in what can be called the definitive version of the King Arthur tale to date. Filmed on location in Ireland, the film shines with glorious visuals as it tells the classic story of Arthur and how he became king with the help of the wizard Merlin. The film also covers the search for the Holy Grail, as well as the Round Table's decline and fall. Nigel Terry is a stalwart Arthur. Nicholas Clay plays Lancelot as the velvet glove hiding a fist of iron, while Cherie Lunghi shines as the lovely, yet practical Queen loved by both men. Helen Mirren is a great Morgana, while Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson , and Gabriel Byrne(before they really became big stars)are solid in smaller roles. But Nichol Williamson steals the show with his quirky, wild and wide-eyed performance as the mystical Merlin. He forms the focus on which the whole film is based and turns in the performance of a lifetime. His performance alone is worth viewing this film. Alas, the movie is not perfect. Many characters are combined or omitted and some events are glossed over in the transition from book to film. Overall, however, this film doesn't pull the punches in presenting these timeless legends. As such, it is an excellent introduction to the Arthurian legends and I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Terribly bad movie...
Review: I won't even get into how far from the litterary sources this movie is. Rather, let's consider that: in one of the first scenes, Arthur's father makes love with Ygerne ... wearing a full plate armor. I understand that he's in a hurry (she's married to one of his knights), but still... I just hope for both of them that no sensitive part of their anatomy got caught between 2 pieces of the articulated armor... Later in the movie, knights fight a tournament using a totally unpractal weapon (that never existed at ANY time...) that looks like a set of barbells with points... During the last battle, Mordred wears a golden (?) armor with a full mask... No comment... I'm all for some artistic license, but I draw the line at this utter lack of realism. In addition, the movie is plain *boring*! I'm giving 2 ** for the use of Carmina Burana in the soundtrack...
Rating:
Summary: "Excalibur" is Legend itself
Review: A sword fashioned when the world was new. A king to wield the sword. A comrade to betray the king. An unfaithful queen forlorn. A wizard to watch over them all. "Excalibur" is not a story about a precise location at some specific point in a time. Rather it is Legend itself; a dreamy tale about one brief, shining moment in a fantastic, magical kingdom. Filled with romance and adventure, "Excalibur" captures both the essence of, and the spirit of, the "knights in shining armor" interpretation of the Arthurian legend. There are so many beautiful sequences in "Excalibur," such as Perceval's quest for the Holy Grail, or the entire end sequence, set in motion when Mordred says to Arthur, "Come, father, let us embrace at last." Director John Boorman skillfully blends realism and authenticity by way of a mythical setting. No other film has ever captured the romantic notion of the Arthurian legend, both in scenery and drama, quite like "Excalibur." To this day, I still get the chills when I hear "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana over the visuals of the last of the knights of the Round Table riding into battle with Mordred's forces. "Excalibur" is, quite simply, cinematic perfection. NOTE: Several exceptional and distinguished Shakespearian actors appear in "Excalibur" including Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Nigel Terry and Cherie Lunghi.
Rating:
Summary: Excalibur
Review: This is one of my all-time favorite movies! I love the medieval genre. And this is the best rendition of King Arthur yet. On another level, Monty Python's Search For The Holy Grail, is another fantastic one!
Rating:
Summary: A deeply flawed, yet oddly great, film
Review: I am writing this review as I view "Excalibur" for the millionth time. I happened upon it a few months ago while channel searching and was instantly hooked. Boorman must have driven himself crazy getting the battle scenes staged, but they remain thrilling, even if the gore succumbs to 'Monty Python' levels of absurdity. The one thing that mainly bothers me about "Excalibur" is that, as Boorman mentions in his commentaty, ALL of the dialog had to be overdubbed after filming. This gives the viewer the sense that they are watching a badly dubbed European movie, and I hate that sort of distraction. Thankfully, the cinematography is first rate, capturing the lush greens of the Irish countryside. And there are some amazing scenes, such as when Arthur asks Uriens to knight him. Humbling himself to win the faith and trust of his foes, the squire Arthur assumes his power as king as chosen by his knights for his trust and courage. As others have mentioned, Nicol Williamson and Helen Mirren are pros who shine here; the same can't be said for Cherie Lunghi and Nigel Terry sad to say. The uneveness of their performances reveals an amateurism better avoided; it would have been well for the studio to spend more on more seasoned actors. In the end, though, it is hard to resist "Excalibur's" dramatic and visual appeal. Somehow Boorman directs as an alchemist, creating gold out of base materials. A film I return to over and over. Bravo Mr. Boorman.
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