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Special Features
Audio commentary
Making-of featurettes: "Behind the Magic"
Video diaries
Photo gallery
Wallpaper
Making-of featurettes: "Behind the Magic"
Video diaries
Photo gallery
Wallpaper
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The creators of Merlin position their hero as the original Harry Potter: a headstrong young wizard with mixed feelings about--and sometimes outright hostility toward--the destiny that's been thrust upon him. Merlin is a reboot of Arthurian legend, starting when all the heroes and sorcerous folk were teenagers, bursting with hormones and wrestling with the powers-that-be, particularly Arthur's heavy-handed father, Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head, best known as Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), a benevolent tyrant who's banished magic from Camelot. Merlin (Colin Morgan, an impish lad with prominent ears) comes to the kingdom with high hopes and innate magical powers. He's taken under the wing of the court physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson, One Foot in the Grave), but additionally becomes the servant of young Arthur (Bradley James), a handsome and talented fighter who's also a bully and a snob. Rounding out the main cast are Morgana (Katie McGrath), who will one day be Merlin's foe but is now Uther's ward, and Gwen (Angel Coulby), a.k.a. Guinevere, the woman who will one day be the center of a legendary love triangle--but who is now Morgana's maid. Clearly, Merlin wants to shake up any preconception about these stuffy old stories, presenting a multi-ethnic Camelot with contemporary language and attitudes.
Despite all this, Merlin quickly becomes addictive. The dialogue and special effects can be cheesy (particularly when the CGI monsters have to interact with actors), but the cast is charming and the stories, while a tad formulaic, keep things moving. Morgan is appropriately dweeby (but also has killer cheekbones), James combines football-quarterback good looks with a hint of sensitivity, McGrath is luscious and impetuous, and Coulby has earthy spunk. The heavy lifting, acting-wise, is ably handled by Head and Wilson. The first season deftly explores the origins of the pillars of Arthurian mythos, from the sword Excalibur to a very dashing (but born of peasant stock) Lancelot to the mysterious birth of Arthur himself. Add to it all an imprisoned dragon, voiced by John Hurt (Alien, The Elephant Man) and prone to cryptic but sometimes helpful advice, and you have an engaging fantasy series. In addition to 13 episodes, there's an additional disk with making-of features and video diaries of the young cast gallivanting around France. --Bret Fetzer
Product Description
Like Smallville did for Superman, Merlin is a new drama series that updates the story of the infamous sorcerer of Arthurian legend for a new audience. In a time before history began, the mythical city of Camelot was a fantastical realm and a dangerous world in which magic has been banned by the ruthless tyrant Uther Pendragon. When Merlin, a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers, arrives in the kingdom, he discovers his destiny and that of the kingdom's young leader in waiting,Arthur, are inextricably linked.
DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Featurette
Photo gallery
Screen Saver
Customer Reviews
“ The special effects are very good for a television show, but more importantly this is a character driven adventure that is well written and FUN! ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
277 of 281 people found the following review helpful
By Daniel
Format:DVD
I absolutely enjoyed this show. The first episode hit on that the relationship between Merlin, the young magician, and Arthur, the prince of Camelot is essential and very important. As they meet, they both sort of hate each other, but destiny brings them together, like two sides of one coin for a reason. The first episode also made it clear that Magic is forbidden in this land, so it is intriguing to see how everything would turn out. If you give this show a chance, you will be surprised by twists and turns of the events. Unexpected story, like suspense, that's what come to my mind. Everything in the story is important as things will come together and make more sense.
The things I like the best are:
1. Great setting. The castle in this TV show is real and it's astonishing! It is one of the best castles in France. Some scenes also take place in Wales and the woods are so magical. I donno how they do it, but the whole setting, the nature, the castles are very mystical, fantastic and beautiful!
2. New actors. I hate big name actors. When I watch someone act, I don't want to think about the actor, I want to focus on the character, and that's what you get in this TV Show. The acting is brilliant. It is never overacted, so to keep you focused on the story. Because episodes tell the story in a fast paced manner, as there is so much to tell, the actors keep things smooth, clear and real. There are no awkward situations and the production is made to make you feel like you're there. I found myself worrying when the actors worried, even though I knew things would turn out fine. So the emotions are definitely pass on to the viewers from the skilled actors.
3. Characters and the friendship plot. The friendship is as complicating as it is deep and also very good. We learn about the relations of Merlin and Arthur that there is love, there are difficulties, mysteries, secrets, but we also learn about friendships among the rest of the many characters in this story. They are all interconnected and deepen as the story progresses. I don't want to spoil anything, so I wont tell you who is friend and who is a foe. One thing I will mention is that every character has demons as they also have angels in them. Things may turn out for or against their relationships towards each other, you just never know how. That's what kept me watching this show. No one is too perfect or too evil. Everyone has flaws here, and they all react to them differently. So the show is very focused on the development of characters while keeping the whole thing fast paced and action packed. I am amazed at their abilities to do that. There must be real good writers at this show. Each character has a whole lot to reveal through their past, present and even the future. I was surprised over and over by what I could learn about certain characters with each episode.
4. The magic. The magic in this story is essential, but we also know that it is forbidden in Camelot. At first I didn't like the idea as I was too afraid that we wont see much magic happen. I was wrong. There is plenty of magic in this show. It all comes from unexpected chain of events. Also, magic is not all great. There are many who want to use it for evil, so perhaps there is a reason it is forbidden in Camelot.....
5. Special effects. Some say the dragon in this show looks bad. I agree that it could have looked more realistic, but it is not horrible at all. In fact, it looks realistic to me. I mean, it doesn't look like an animal on geographic channel, but it does look like a mystical creature we've never really seen in life. It looks like it is done on the computer, but not to the extent that it is too obvious. You can still enjoy the dragon if you are not holding a magnifying glass in your hand trying to study its scales. The rest of the creatures and magical special effects in my opinion are great. They are just about the same as in Harry Potter movies.
6. Message on morality. Over and over I catch myself noticing good moral lessons in this show. For young people to watch this show, is not only to enjoy the story and catchy special effects, but also to learn lessons between choosing what is right in one's life. Characters are constantly tested and at crossroads. Each decision we make matters a lot for our own future and the people we love. Morals on friendships, respect, patience, good will, forgiveness. I still remember the episode called "to kill the king". It was the most amazing lesson on forgiveness I've ever seen done on TV.
Right now the show ended with the 13th episode, the last one of the first season and I can tell you, it is at its climax. The show has climbed up high in just 13 episodes. We now have more answers. We know the characters to heart, but we are also puzzled with new information given about them, as nothing is too certain and there are hidden skeletons on the closets. So that only makes things even more exciting. We also went through the pain, struggles, losses as well as joy, great friendships and miracles with these characters.
As far as some complaints you may face about this show... I've heard people expressing lots of hateful messages, like the show looks cheap, actors are horrible, etc, etc... I don't know if those people are blind, or if they even saw any of "Merlin", or are they just negative trolls who know nothing but spread negativity online. Some say that the show is not as true to the original legend. But If you don't like this interpretation of the legend, there are millions of other interpretations out there, and NO ONE really knows which one is the right one. I googles the legends of king Arthur and Merlin for weeks now and have found that no one really knows what happened. No one knows who was who's son, wife, friend, foe... No one knows who killed who and so forth... There are tales and songs from everywhere saying different things. Apart from that, people also complain about the acting, and the special effects. As I am a theater actor myself, I gotta say the actors are amazing. I have yet to see anyone in this show underact or overact. And the dragon effects don't bother me a bit, as I am too focused on paying attention to what's going on. BBC cannot put more money into this as they already have. As much as they put into this show, they did an amazing job. They keep the writing entertaining, deep and mysterious, and they keep the directing smooth, fast paces and beautiful. I have only one complaint, I want to see more!!!!!
So in the end of my review, I just hope that I was able to convince some of you to watch this show, and excite you somewhat as deep as I am excited about it. I hope I helped you lose some of you concerns and questions answered. Enjoy this TV serious with a simplistic heart and it will take you on a great journey! Cheers!
The things I like the best are:
1. Great setting. The castle in this TV show is real and it's astonishing! It is one of the best castles in France. Some scenes also take place in Wales and the woods are so magical. I donno how they do it, but the whole setting, the nature, the castles are very mystical, fantastic and beautiful!
2. New actors. I hate big name actors. When I watch someone act, I don't want to think about the actor, I want to focus on the character, and that's what you get in this TV Show. The acting is brilliant. It is never overacted, so to keep you focused on the story. Because episodes tell the story in a fast paced manner, as there is so much to tell, the actors keep things smooth, clear and real. There are no awkward situations and the production is made to make you feel like you're there. I found myself worrying when the actors worried, even though I knew things would turn out fine. So the emotions are definitely pass on to the viewers from the skilled actors.
3. Characters and the friendship plot. The friendship is as complicating as it is deep and also very good. We learn about the relations of Merlin and Arthur that there is love, there are difficulties, mysteries, secrets, but we also learn about friendships among the rest of the many characters in this story. They are all interconnected and deepen as the story progresses. I don't want to spoil anything, so I wont tell you who is friend and who is a foe. One thing I will mention is that every character has demons as they also have angels in them. Things may turn out for or against their relationships towards each other, you just never know how. That's what kept me watching this show. No one is too perfect or too evil. Everyone has flaws here, and they all react to them differently. So the show is very focused on the development of characters while keeping the whole thing fast paced and action packed. I am amazed at their abilities to do that. There must be real good writers at this show. Each character has a whole lot to reveal through their past, present and even the future. I was surprised over and over by what I could learn about certain characters with each episode.
4. The magic. The magic in this story is essential, but we also know that it is forbidden in Camelot. At first I didn't like the idea as I was too afraid that we wont see much magic happen. I was wrong. There is plenty of magic in this show. It all comes from unexpected chain of events. Also, magic is not all great. There are many who want to use it for evil, so perhaps there is a reason it is forbidden in Camelot.....
5. Special effects. Some say the dragon in this show looks bad. I agree that it could have looked more realistic, but it is not horrible at all. In fact, it looks realistic to me. I mean, it doesn't look like an animal on geographic channel, but it does look like a mystical creature we've never really seen in life. It looks like it is done on the computer, but not to the extent that it is too obvious. You can still enjoy the dragon if you are not holding a magnifying glass in your hand trying to study its scales. The rest of the creatures and magical special effects in my opinion are great. They are just about the same as in Harry Potter movies.
6. Message on morality. Over and over I catch myself noticing good moral lessons in this show. For young people to watch this show, is not only to enjoy the story and catchy special effects, but also to learn lessons between choosing what is right in one's life. Characters are constantly tested and at crossroads. Each decision we make matters a lot for our own future and the people we love. Morals on friendships, respect, patience, good will, forgiveness. I still remember the episode called "to kill the king". It was the most amazing lesson on forgiveness I've ever seen done on TV.
Right now the show ended with the 13th episode, the last one of the first season and I can tell you, it is at its climax. The show has climbed up high in just 13 episodes. We now have more answers. We know the characters to heart, but we are also puzzled with new information given about them, as nothing is too certain and there are hidden skeletons on the closets. So that only makes things even more exciting. We also went through the pain, struggles, losses as well as joy, great friendships and miracles with these characters.
As far as some complaints you may face about this show... I've heard people expressing lots of hateful messages, like the show looks cheap, actors are horrible, etc, etc... I don't know if those people are blind, or if they even saw any of "Merlin", or are they just negative trolls who know nothing but spread negativity online. Some say that the show is not as true to the original legend. But If you don't like this interpretation of the legend, there are millions of other interpretations out there, and NO ONE really knows which one is the right one. I googles the legends of king Arthur and Merlin for weeks now and have found that no one really knows what happened. No one knows who was who's son, wife, friend, foe... No one knows who killed who and so forth... There are tales and songs from everywhere saying different things. Apart from that, people also complain about the acting, and the special effects. As I am a theater actor myself, I gotta say the actors are amazing. I have yet to see anyone in this show underact or overact. And the dragon effects don't bother me a bit, as I am too focused on paying attention to what's going on. BBC cannot put more money into this as they already have. As much as they put into this show, they did an amazing job. They keep the writing entertaining, deep and mysterious, and they keep the directing smooth, fast paces and beautiful. I have only one complaint, I want to see more!!!!!
So in the end of my review, I just hope that I was able to convince some of you to watch this show, and excite you somewhat as deep as I am excited about it. I hope I helped you lose some of you concerns and questions answered. Enjoy this TV serious with a simplistic heart and it will take you on a great journey! Cheers!
70 of 75 people found the following review helpful
By linds
Format:DVD
That's not saying much, considering that Reality TV seems to be taking over everywhere, and there is NOTHING else on this summer.
It may not be THE-ABSOLUTE-BEST-THING-EVER-ON-TV-EVER!!, but this UK import is pretty darn good. Solid 4 stars. I started watching the first couple on Hulu, and now I'm sort of hooked. I'm usually a wait-to-see-it-on-Hulu person, but I've been flipping on my TV Sunday nights to help get the Nielsen ratings up. I hope this show isn't cancelled, at least they finished out season 1 in the UK! Looking forward to season 2 (i hope!!) and to seeing what these promising actors will do after this!
So, 4 stars for giving me hope in scripted, serialized TV. Thank you, BBC.
EDIT: I forgot to mention what a great family show this is. A few scenes/themes might be a bit scary for smaller children, but there's no language, and I can't remember the last time I saw a show featuring a bunch of 20-somethings who WEREN'T sleeping with each other. Refreshing!!
It may not be THE-ABSOLUTE-BEST-THING-EVER-ON-TV-EVER!!, but this UK import is pretty darn good. Solid 4 stars. I started watching the first couple on Hulu, and now I'm sort of hooked. I'm usually a wait-to-see-it-on-Hulu person, but I've been flipping on my TV Sunday nights to help get the Nielsen ratings up. I hope this show isn't cancelled, at least they finished out season 1 in the UK! Looking forward to season 2 (i hope!!) and to seeing what these promising actors will do after this!
So, 4 stars for giving me hope in scripted, serialized TV. Thank you, BBC.
EDIT: I forgot to mention what a great family show this is. A few scenes/themes might be a bit scary for smaller children, but there's no language, and I can't remember the last time I saw a show featuring a bunch of 20-somethings who WEREN'T sleeping with each other. Refreshing!!
60 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This new BBC series Merlin is one of the Best Shows I have ever watched ! I have seen every episode and I live in the US. Have downloaded and watched all the shows. The actors are great and so is Anthony Head as King Uther. Anthony Head as all recall played Giles on Buffy The Vampire Slayer..
It is filled with much magic and fun and great in my opinion for all ages but not too young for it my scare the little ones... All the on location filming from a real castle in France and other sites in the U.K. are amazing . This is a must see series to watch. I have read that it is supposed to be broadcast here in the US soon maybe and will be released on DVD but not known if it will be in Region 1 for US.. If you can find it on the internet and download all the episodes and watch as you are drawn into the story wanting to watch again and again to find out what Meriln's destiny is.....and best of all when you download them ..No Commercials !! YEA!!!
It is filled with much magic and fun and great in my opinion for all ages but not too young for it my scare the little ones... All the on location filming from a real castle in France and other sites in the U.K. are amazing . This is a must see series to watch. I have read that it is supposed to be broadcast here in the US soon maybe and will be released on DVD but not known if it will be in Region 1 for US.. If you can find it on the internet and download all the episodes and watch as you are drawn into the story wanting to watch again and again to find out what Meriln's destiny is.....and best of all when you download them ..No Commercials !! YEA!!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Merlin Fans Must Have
I completely enjoy the Merlin Series and am sorry that it is now discontinued. I would have loved to see it go on for more years to really get into the grove of the new Kinq,... Read more
Published 1 day ago by KristyQ.
5.0 out of 5 stars
MERLIN
WONDERFUL ACTORS. As much as I love Colin, Bradley did have larger role and he deserved an award
Loved it
Loved it
Published 1 day ago by Kathie Saunders
1.0 out of 5 stars
Bloody Awful
My wife has a lower tolerance for fiddling with classic stories than I do, so when we started to watch the first episode, I found myself trying to defend it, feeling she'd not... Read more
Published 11 days ago by Erasmus
5.0 out of 5 stars
My friend loves this show
My friend loves this show, so I decided to get it for her birthday. She's watched it twice so far. Great show.
Published 12 days ago by Shannon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Merlin the first season
I gave this first seasonof Merlin to my 12-year-old granddaughter when she came for a visit in March. Read more
Published 18 days ago by mickey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Show
This first season was well done. Enjoyed most every show from 1st to last. Our disks are bad though had two episodes freeze - couldn't finish. Read more
Published 21 days ago by P Lance
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best shows on television!
I am very disappointed that season 5 will be it's last season. Merlin is a fun watch. It's loaded with drama, action, humor, romance and great actors. Read more
Published 28 days ago by melissa turner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Show
I am very impressed with the highly gifted and talented cast and their acting; the excellent, well-written, creative stories; and the development of both the stories and characters... Read more
Published 29 days ago by IC Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Uh…it's Merlin
This show is awesome. They pulled these young actors out of the woodwork and they did an amazing job. Good show for all to watch.
Published 1 month ago by nonscelus
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wish you had season 5
Wish you had season 5 available. Too expensive for what you can get for free on Net Flix.Thank you. Again
Published 1 month ago by albbak
