d6a2afd33b The Arthurian legend is again retold, only this time from the perspective of the life of Merlin. The story begins with young Merlin being schooled in magic by the evil sorceress, Mab, and her apprentice, Frik. Merlin ultimately rejects her tutelage setting up a war between them which leads to her attack on Arthur. Unwittingly, Arthur impregnates his own half-sister, Morgan Le Fey, which leads to the birth of Mordred, an evil son who ultimately destroys Camelot. Merlin also unwittingly leads to Camelot's destruction when he selects Lancelot to protect Guinevere based on mistaken information he gains from The Lady In The Lake. The legendary wizard tells his story of his war against Queen Mab of the Sidhe and his creation of Camelot. I have just finished seeing this movie for the third time and am still quite pleased. I saw this movie when it first aired on NBC and it has been a favorite of mine since. Although, it is disappointing that some forty minutes of the original have been edited from the VHS version, presumably to keep from having to issue it on two tapes, the film is still enjoyable for those who've seen the full-version. New viewers, however, will miss out on some important scenes suchMorgan Le Fey's first conversation with Merlina little girl. Keeping this in mind, I've some friends who've only seen the home video copy and have enjoyed the movie immensely. Editing aside, this is a remarkable film. The acting is terrific, with Sam Neil and Martin short putting in especially fine performances. Jim Henson's Creature shop did a fine job of bringing Merlin's world to life. Although, there is not another dragon on film yet that compares with Dragonheart's Draco, they did very well and it was all quite believable. However the things that stand out the most for me are the subtle morals and high concepts portrayed in this film, none of which I will discuss hereI am morally opposed to spoilers. Look for these in the film, however,I am sure they will give you a good deal to contemplate in the days that follow the viewing of this remarkable piece of work. I can't count the number of times I passed this movie up while I was in Blockbuster. I still can't believe what I was missing! RARELY can I say that a movie has touched my heart, but this one did. It was just beautiful, that is all I can say. The script is amazing and replete with philosophical issues and suppositions(Machiavelli, the depravity of humankind, etc, etc). Some people might compare this to John Boorman's masterpiece because it is also Arthurian, but I do not. There is a totally different focus here. I think the person who wrote this was trying to say something. I hope I am not being presumptuous, but I think there is an underlying message. Even if there is not and I am reading too much into it, I gave, and still give, this movie a 10/10. It is definitely among my all-time favorites. This is a MUST-SEE for everyone!
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