Merlin

Rating:
Summary: UNFORGIVABLE
Review: This film is a complete disaster. What a waste of time expecting something grand like a big screen event after watching the eye-popping trailer on NBC. Merlin, as it turns out, is nothing more than a below average TV movie. Never in my entire life have I ever witnessed a more horrible miniseries. The film's title is a misnomer, as the depiction of Merlin here is about as accurate as that of the Police Academy movies on life in the NYPD. For the producers to put out sloppy dreck like this is totally unforgivable.

Rating:
Summary: Great.... For scaring your unwanted in-laws away!
Review: Anyone expecting the great standards of Arthur, Merlin and the knights of the Round Table as set forth by Monmouth, De Troyes, and Malory will be in for a rude awakening. Merlin is not at all a story of honor, valor, chivalry, and dark magic. What is offered here instead is an amalgam of such fairy tales as Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella miunus decent screenplay and acting. This has got to be the worst sword and sorcery film since Red Sonja. If you aren't a purist and don't mind watching slop from time-to-time, then by all means go right on ahead. Otherwise, buy or rent the other 3 films and avoid this one at all costs.

Rating:
Summary: Uninspired... Inconsistencies abound
Review: This movie is chock full of inconsistencies on Arthurian folklore that people are most familiar with. I won't elaborate on every single thing, just the major ones. Like how Merlin presents and takes Excalibur away. That never actually happened. Next, the Lady of the Lake becomes the good witch from The Wizard of Oz opposite an evil counterpart. Arthur appears more cowardly than Shaggy from Scooby Doo. Elaine's body was never covered w/rose petals while being carried downriver. Vortigern wasn't killed in the

battle near Wichester, which was never fought during winter on ice. Merlin was mortally imprisoned under a rock. There was neither a Frick or a talking horse. A water-colored Round Table made from remains of a California Sequoia Redwood tree, 13th-century era body armor, and jousting in the 5th century? I think not. Errors aside, the film never gets off the ground to begin with. Just when certain parts throughout start to get interesting each time it falls flat on its face with something stupid like Frick's

insipid jokes, or Merlin lecturing someone on the consequences of their actions. At just little over 3hrs., `Merlin' is 2rs way too long and uninspired If you are a parent and this were the last video left on the children's shelf, you're better off making shadow puppets for your kids. At least you'll end up telling a better story.

Rating:
Summary: Fantasy film-making at its worst.
Review: To say that great liberties were taken with `Merlin' is an understatement. This film is soooo awful that it takes Arthurian mythologies and proceeds to feed them to the paper shredder. With the exception of an excellent soundtrack, nothing can save this made-for-tv chugger from the shadows of its vastly superior predecessor `Excalibur'. Pairing Sam Neill, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Isabella Rosellini to a poor a script as this is the biggest waste of cinematic talent resources I have witnessed in years.
As if things couldn't get any worse, they had to add in annoying Martin Short's fictitous character. One can only take so much of the tastless, racist jokes he throws at them before hitting the eject button on the DVD player. I really wanted to enjoy this film badly, but that was not to be as my 12-year old daughter (who has read virtually all of the classical mythology sources for Merlin) kept pointing out the inaccuracies to me...such as how Nimue was supposed to be Merlin's mortal enemy instead of his
love interest. Merlin actually fared far worse than Arthur did, nothing like the `and they lived happily ever after' ending in the movie. Defenders of `Merlin' have also unfairly attacked `Excalibur' for using armour (which wasn't invented for another 700 years or so), while in `Merlin' they didn't as if this were a good enough reason for putting `Merlin' on top of `Excalibur'. If only they paid close attention to the TOURNAMENT scene in `MERLIN', they would have noticed the knights JOUSTING in ARMOURED
SUITS! In a nutshell, take the poor acting, script, dumbed-down dialogue, annoying Martin Short and that silly talking horse and you end up with `Excalibur' meets `Dumb and Dumber' meets `Disney' meets `Mr. Ed'. It was such a waste of my time, and probably more so for my daughter. Awarding 1 star for `Merlin' might seem very generous, but only because Amazon.com's grading system won't go any lower than that.

Rating:
Summary: Absolute Garbage
Review: As a fan and student of Arthurian legend, this is by far the worst depiction of Merlin I've encountered on screen or in print. I turned it off the moment 'Merlin' started spouting Bible passages. Give me a break!

Don't waste your time. 'Merlin: The Return' is a more entertaining take on the great Wizard than this offal.

Rating:
Summary: Loved The Movie
Review: I honestly loved this movie. So much I bought it on DVD... I rented the movie first... loved it. Great Actiion, Adventure.. even love thrown in. What more could you ask for? 5 STARS

Rating:
Summary: This is awful
Review: Okay,what is up with you people?your all givin this stupid thing all these great ratings and everything.if you actually like this movie then no offense,but I pity you.I am not just sayin this because I'dont watch this type of movie but on the contrary this is one of the main categories I watch .this movie is really stupid and my advice is see it for yourself and then make up your mind but if yuo absolutely have to see this people then for heavens sake's dont buy it rent it first.CYA,DarkRaven
PS.I am thirteen and i cant stand this movie,think about it...!!!

Rating:
Summary: All the stories of Arthur and Merlin woven into one
Review: This movie is THE BEST movie made about the Aurturian legend. Period. There are more than a few out there and none of them can live up to this made for t.v. movie. The cast is perfect and MOST of the acting is ok. Although in some parts the script seems to have bad writing. Sam Neil is a great Merlin and really captures the role. I will say though that the special effects are a bit dated, well, or maybe the movie is just a bit under budget, but its not a big deal because the story is so good that it keeps you from all the flaws.

This movie is mainly based on the Medival writing "Le Morte D'Arthur". But most stories of Arthur are based roughly on that story. The movie takes what seems like all the different parts and stories of the legend and managed to cram them into one movie together, which makes for a very wonderful, fantasy filled three hours. And this is a three hour movie you will have no problem with sitting all the way through. This movie is worth buying and bringing home to you DVD collection.

Note: Towared the end of the DVD the dubbing gets a little bad and can get distracting. It begins to look a bit like an old kung fu movie, but luckly it is only the last half hour that is like this and it gets bad, then good then bad again. So its not badly dubbed for a half our strait.

Rating:
Summary: Good effects but some overacting
Review: This is a movie that has beautiful sets, costumes, and a cast of excellent and well respected actors. However, as one who has always enjoyed the King Arthur/Merlin stories, this is not the typical King Arthur story. I am not sure if kids will like this story because it has some very scary scenes. Miranda Richardson's character is interesting and irritating, the actor effectuates this very weird and almost whinny voice in playing her character as an Evil fairy queen or something. Sam Neill and Isabella Rosilini are good. However, Helena Bonham Carter was terrible and there is a lot of overacting (or maybe just bad acting). The ending is also a let down. But overall, its entertaining to an extent, but I am not in a hurry to view this DVD again.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the Best
Review: I wont go into details about the movie. You can scroll through the other reviews for that. Simply put, this is one of the best TV movies ever made. The acting, the script, and the special effects are awesome. I was glued to my TV when this aired in the mid 1990s, and I was one of the first to own the VHS copy. This is one of those movies you can pop in from time to time and still enjoy. I give this movie 5 stars for sure!