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Special Features
- New to this edition:
- 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound
- "The Magical Making of Merlin"
- Charlotte Church music video
- Commentary by director Steve Barron
- Also:
- Production notes
- Making-of featurette
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
What kind of guy was the wizard Merlin, anyway? He lives a long time, raises a boy to be a king, props up a Utopian empire with his magic and wisdom, and then watches as it all crumbles under such banal forces as vengeance and betrayal. This four-hour miniseries re-tells the story of Camelot and King Arthur from the perspective of the magic man who sacrifices a great deal to guide mortals toward a better destiny. Sam Neill plays Merlin as an accessible, flesh-and-blood fellow of real passion, powerless to undo the spell of a rival (Rutger Hauer) who has virtually imprisoned Merlin's great love, Nimue (Isabella Rossellini), but gifted enough to counter the treachery of Morgan Le Fey (Helena Bonham Carter) and the wicked Queen Mab (Miranda Richardson). The battle sequences and special effects are striking and original, and it is great fun to see such art-house movie actors as Richardson, Carter, Neill, etc., in fantasy entertainment the whole family can enjoy. (An unrecognizable Martin Short must be singled out, however, for a wonderful, largely dramatic performance as Mab's sidekick, Frik.) Directed by Steve Barron (The Adventures of Pinocchio), Merlin is a nice bit of glossy revisionism of a beloved legend. --Tom Keogh
Product Description
The legendary wizard tells his story of his war against Queen Mab of the Sidhe and his creation of Camelot.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
There is nothing on this disc, that was not already in the previous one.
Nothing except perhaps the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Stereo sound, which in the previous appearance had been reduced to a simple 2.0 Channel Stereo sound.
The specials are the very same you had before.
The screen ratio remains the classic TV 1.33:1 ratio screen resolution, which can be "expanded" to Full Screen, but watching the actual filming of the movie in the Making of, I seemed to have recognized a Panaflex camera moving around, hence it could have been transferred either in 1.78:1 or even in a matted 1.85:1 screen ratio as well.
But perhaps they already lost that copy.
Anyway, the acting by everyone involved in this project is magnificent and involving. Sam Neill, Martin Short, Miranda Richardson and Helena Bonham-Carter, without forgetting brief appearances by Rutger Hauer and John Gielgud give their very best and seem to truly have fun playing their respective roles.
The story flows and grips you from the very first shot, to the very last, without ever becoming too obvious or boring.
The special effects for a TV Movie of that era (late Nineties) are exceptional and very well interwoven within the story, without ever becoming overbearing on the plot.
This is the true Family Movie everyone should have. It has fun moments, dramatic moments and even magical moments for everyone to enjoy.
If this movie had been made to be shown in movie theaters, I am sure it would have won an Oscar for best leading Actor (Sam Neill as Merlin) and also best supporting Actress (Miranda Richardson in her double role as Mab, Queen of the Old Ways and as the Lady of the Lake).
I can highly recommend it in the present format.
Nothing except perhaps the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Stereo sound, which in the previous appearance had been reduced to a simple 2.0 Channel Stereo sound.
The specials are the very same you had before.
The screen ratio remains the classic TV 1.33:1 ratio screen resolution, which can be "expanded" to Full Screen, but watching the actual filming of the movie in the Making of, I seemed to have recognized a Panaflex camera moving around, hence it could have been transferred either in 1.78:1 or even in a matted 1.85:1 screen ratio as well.
But perhaps they already lost that copy.
Anyway, the acting by everyone involved in this project is magnificent and involving. Sam Neill, Martin Short, Miranda Richardson and Helena Bonham-Carter, without forgetting brief appearances by Rutger Hauer and John Gielgud give their very best and seem to truly have fun playing their respective roles.
The story flows and grips you from the very first shot, to the very last, without ever becoming too obvious or boring.
The special effects for a TV Movie of that era (late Nineties) are exceptional and very well interwoven within the story, without ever becoming overbearing on the plot.
This is the true Family Movie everyone should have. It has fun moments, dramatic moments and even magical moments for everyone to enjoy.
If this movie had been made to be shown in movie theaters, I am sure it would have won an Oscar for best leading Actor (Sam Neill as Merlin) and also best supporting Actress (Miranda Richardson in her double role as Mab, Queen of the Old Ways and as the Lady of the Lake).
I can highly recommend it in the present format.
58 of 64 people found the following review helpful
By Taylor
Format:VHS Tape
I missed this movie when it was on TV, and I totally regretted it. The next day at school, EVERYONE was talking about how great it is. I resolved to see it when it came out on video. When I did, I was totally blown away! I mean, the acting was spectacular *special kudos go out to Miranda Richardson for her fabulous job as Queen Mab, and Isabella Rosselini, for being an excellent Nimue*, the plot was excellently written, and the setting/costumes were fabulous! Some of you biased reviewers *you know who you are* insist that Merlin "doesn't measure up" to Excalibur and that it isn't "historically correct". Gimme a break! First of all, why does Merlin have to be compared to Excalibur? Why can't you people just enjoy it for what it is? Secondly, let me say this loud and clear: THE ARTHURIAN LEGENDS ARE NOT HISTORY! THEY ARE LEGENDS! THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG TELLING OF THEM! Now that I've said that, I hope that everyone reading this will take my thoughts into consideration. If you haven't seen this movie and you like tales of adventure, romance, and magic, I DEFINITELY recommend it.
86 of 101 people found the following review helpful
By Jason Baker
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I own several movies that tell the same tale in different ways, the tale of Merlin and King Arthur and Sir Lancelot. Of these the ones that have really stood out are "The Mists Of Avalon" , "Excalibur" and "Merlin". Of these 3 I must say that Merlin is my favorite. This is because the first 2 while wonderfully told and acted out, the endings were far from happy and feel good and more remeniscent of classic French movies with their tragic endings with only small glimmers of brightness. Merlin,however, is a fairy tale movie with a fairy tale ending..a happy one.. There is also quite a lot of humor and wit blended in this movie as well. If you enjoy movies that take place during the Arthurian time period then this is one you will want to add to your collection!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good movie
Good movie, I saw it years ago as a teenager and remembered it more cool and fascinating. Didn't find it so fascinating this time around, the movie moved very slow.
Published 8 days ago by alexandra espinal
1.0 out of 5 stars
It is great
this to me is the best story of Merlin that there is.I have seen another stories of his life and I like this one the best
Published 9 days ago by judy wyman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excalibur This Is Not, And That's A Good Thing, As Children Were The...
Note: I saw this television miniseries via XFinity On Demand.
I saw this miniseries years ago in high school, and I liked it, but it wasn't until it was showing on... Read more
I saw this miniseries years ago in high school, and I liked it, but it wasn't until it was showing on... Read more
Published 16 days ago by HAMLET
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing fantasy
I loved this movie when I saw it in the Hallmark Channel, so I got the disc and I watched it about once every year, great movie, maybe a precursor to high quality television... Read more
Published 19 days ago by Rodolfo Q. Z
4.0 out of 5 stars
Merlin's Story
Every story about Merlin and King Arthur is a little different, and this story is unique from any other I've seen. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rebel G.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Done Film
If you are as "into" all the Arthurian Legend stuff as I am, then you will likely enjoy this film. Read more
Published 1 month ago by D. R. Percival
3.0 out of 5 stars
Light hearted fantasy
There are two genres of film I love more than others, science fiction and fantasy. I find that there are never enough good films made in these genres. Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Lindahl
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice memories restored
I was pleased with the prompt delivery and pristine condition of the product. The main pleasure with viewing the DVD was the absence of advertisements that interrupted the story... Read more
Published 2 months ago by S. K. Lapius II
5.0 out of 5 stars
Merlin
I liked the movie and just wanted this copy so I could watch ir on a rainy or snowy day. I also like the actors.
Published 2 months ago by LadyHawk
5.0 out of 5 stars
Merlin
The movie I got was used, but looked and played like new. Other used movies have not been such good quality. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Linda burris
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