Merlin

Rating:
Summary: Merlin: a refreshing visit to the Arthurian Legend
Review: First, I didn't like the latest version of King Arthur. Pulling out the VHS of Merlin proved refreshing; the sweet in contrast to the bitter. The VHS, I rated three stars, I added another star as the DVD would included added features not included on tape.

The good news is that Merlin consolidates a number of variations in the legend to provide a linear story.

The bad news is this is a story that has to be watched in one setting, and with attentiveness: in other words w/o distractions. Too many little items link the story together.

The magic is represented through good special effects, although there are more background characters then explained in the plot.

If you want the legend; you will want Merlin in your collection.

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: This movie is the best one I've ever seen about Merlin, it's full of magic. It's pretty long so telling the plot is hard, but the main idea is great, Merlin is the story-teller and speaks of his life. The accent, as the title says, is placed on Merlin, not on Arthur or "real" history (who can really say that Arthur ever existed?). It's a film that both children and mature people can enjoy. You should see it! I love Miranda Richardson as Queen Mab, her choice to whisper instead of plain old saying it, makes her character even more seductive. Her look is grrrrrrreat in both her roles, Mab and her sister, the lady of the lake! Watch & enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: War of light against darkness
Review: Britain is in trouble, as multiple conflicts between warlords and thanes tears the island apart. The savage Saxons are engaging in their raids into the island, and the evil Witch Queen, Mab (Miranda Richardson) , embarks on a holy war to keep the Pagan `Old Ways' ascendant and to prevent the triumph of the `new religion' Christianity.

She uses her foul sorcery to create a type of Immaculate Conception whereby a young woman is impregnated without a father, and the child, Merlin, is to be her tool.

Merlin grows up as a peasant lad, meets up with the beautiful Lady Nimue (Isabella Rosselini), rescues her from quicksand and they fall in love. He is then sent to Mab, where he is pressed into service as an apprentice of the Gnome, Frick (Martin Short), a very witty and amusing character.
When Mab kills the kindly old woman who has brought up Merlin, Merlin vows to use all his powers to defeat Mab and her evil forces, and so the powers struggle between good and evil is put into place.
The story is an enchanting one of fairies and gnomes, dragons and lots of swords and sorcery. It is essentially also a struggle between the forces of paganism and those of Christianity, as the evil set in motion by Mab is a battle against the Christian faith. That is why Mab backs the heathen tyrant Lord Vortigan, against the Christian Prince Uther Pendragon, who has brought his troops back from Brittany to battle Vortigan for the crown. Merlin, who longs for Britain to be freed of Vortigan's tyranny supports Uther Pendragon. And so the battle between the forces of light and dark continues.
It is Merlin who selects Uther's son, the young Arthur for the task as new King , and guides him to the throne , becoming chief advisor and mentor to the young king.
It is within this struggle that the Knights of Camelot search for the Holy Grail, which Nimue (a devout Christian) explains was the cup used by Jesus of Nazareth, and was brought from Israel to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea.
Sam Neill is brilliant as Merlin; he adds force and charisma to the role.
All the misery and destruction here has Queen Mab behind it, as she, like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, is behind the treachery of Morgan La Fey (Helena Bonham Carter) (who is more a pathetic character than evil in this version) and the birth of the vicious and extremely evil Mordred . She also facilitates the adultery between Lancelot and Arthur's Queen Guinevere. It is also Mab who throws Nimue to the dragon causing her to be cruelly disfigured.
Mab sees all of this as justified in her war against Christianity and says `the end justifies the means.' This is the argument used by all evildoers , such as the Marxists , together with their Islamist allies, in their war to destroy Judeo-Christian civilization.
It is four hours of pure intrigue, beautifully done, and not to be missed, for any lover of fantasy and Arthurian Legend.
It is a stunning tale of the eternal battle between the forces of light and of darkness.




Rating:
Summary: An Unappreciated Film
Review: This movie is excellent for anyone interested in the Arthurian Legends. Like all films, it has its moments of bad acting, fake effects, and other oddments. But seeing that it was made for TV, it's amazing that it converted into movie form so well. There are so many legends surrounding Merlin and Arthur that it's hard to keep track of them all, but in this movie, we can see the chronological order of things. It may be helpful for viewers to remember that primary documents about Merlin and Arthur are non-existant, and we are therefore more familiar with the later romanticized versions of the Arthurian Legends. The importance of legends lies not in the storyline, but in what that legend does for us. Merlin and the Arthurian Legends help us to recognize the magic of everyday - love, friendship, and other things of the heart as mystical as any magic of Mab. The writers artfully and subtly shaped the theme, which is: that the things which we create may well be the things that destroy us. This rendition of the Arthurian Legends combines the reality of human nature and the fantasy of myth. We can see a bit of ourselves in each of the characters (you'll find a little Mordred in me before 7am). This movie posesses human-hearted characters in a landscape of magic and mystery. Overall, a wonderful movie!

P.S. Trevor Jones is a genius - the music is fantastic! oh, and Frick is a riot!

Rating:
Summary: Great movie, one of my favorites!
Review: I loved this movie, and it's one I come back to and watch over and over again! It's not the first story about Merlin, but it's a great one! So much better then 'First Knight'. If you're pagan you'll appreciate Queen Mab! And if you love good acting, good special effects, good storyline, and good endings you'll love this movie! I'm really surprised this movie hasn't been more promoted! It's probably because ignorant people don't understand the Old Ways and this movie is a turn off for those stingy few who don't believe in magic...