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Amazon.co.uk Review
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 mini-series 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
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
What can I do but agree with the previous reviewers? This is one of the best buys I've ever made!
Such an atmospheric, real-feeling experience. Each role filled to perfection by it's actor. Great special effects even given that it's some years old, now. Full of drama, magic, humour, pathos - a fantastic way to spend an afternoon or evening immersed in the story. And at a reasonable price, too.
NB: - Don't bother with the sequel "Merlins Apprentice" unless there are young kids to entertain. It's a bit of fun - but that's all.
Such an atmospheric, real-feeling experience. Each role filled to perfection by it's actor. Great special effects even given that it's some years old, now. Full of drama, magic, humour, pathos - a fantastic way to spend an afternoon or evening immersed in the story. And at a reasonable price, too.
NB: - Don't bother with the sequel "Merlins Apprentice" unless there are young kids to entertain. It's a bit of fun - but that's all.
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
I'm not really an expert on the mythology of Merlin and the like, as I've never really held an avid interest, so I can give an unbiased review of the film without having to refer to the inaccuracies of the film compared to the legend. But no telling of a fictional legend is really right or wrong, and this is where some reviewers miss the point of the film. But hey, people have different opinions.
I missed the two part series when it was shown on Channel 4, but was attracted by the TV advertisements, and it was refreshing to see a reasonably big budget production made primarily for TV. When it was released on video, it was a welcome purchase as I could see what I had missed. And I loved it.
It was nice to see such an impressive cast in MERLIN. Sam Neill was good as the lead character. Miranda Richardson, playing yet another 'bad girl' role positively oozed evil as Queen Mab. Helena Bonham Carter played her part as the lispy Morgan well, and Martin Short... well, you couldn't fault his performance which was equaly parts sincere, hilarious and over the top. Rutger Hauer was pretty good, although I felt that his part was taken to the extreme in places, with his evil character taken often to an unbelievable extreme (take his treatment of the castle architects for example). But that was the fault of the writers, not his. But saying that, that is about the only place in the film where the writers goofed; the rest was top notch.
The special effects were brilliant, from start to finish. In some places you could tell that computer animation was used (take the dragon scene for instance), but they look so good that you can't fault them. Queen Mab's erratic movement from one area to another, Martin Short's character metamorphosis, the dragon, the fairies and the final showdown are all breathtaking when considering that MERLIN was a TV production.
And the musical score by Trevor Jones... for me this is the high point of MERLIN, as it is quite simply one of the best scores committed to moving image. Movie enthusiasts will recognise his name from such films as EXCALIBUR, and, most notably, LAST OF THE MOHICANS (containing the best musical score in the world!), and his music expertly captures the majesty, the fantasy and the scope of the film. It cannot be faulted.
Definetly a film for all ages, this is a truly pleasurable, visual treat from start to finish. Definetly one to watch.
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is an old old story but with a proper storyline and yes it is interesting BUT actually the characters are very good & really get into the roles. Mab is great. A television production I have watched this with the family - 5 times - and it stands up well.
The mysticism is well thought out & a good angle on it as well as some of the factual history of that era. Gosh I might even drag out that old tape & watch it again.
The mysticism is well thought out & a good angle on it as well as some of the factual history of that era. Gosh I might even drag out that old tape & watch it again.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very basic
I will not review the show, but will say that the DVD is extremely basic; so much so that my first thought was that it may be a pirate copy. Read more
Published 1 month ago by harmless
Somewhat enjoyable, but...
Sure, it's entertaining. It's a story about knights, magic, love and whatnot - and if you happen to like that, you'll probably like this rendition as well. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kim
Did I see the same film?
Are we talking about the same film? I have never seen such a rubbish film in my life. My family love fantasy films, and yes we do see beyond 'naff' special effects. Read more
Published 6 months ago by snowflake
Far better than I expected
I'm shocked to say I found this 3 hour TV mini-series more
entertaining, more human, and more emotional, than almost all the huge
sword and sorcery epic features of late... Read more
entertaining, more human, and more emotional, than almost all the huge
sword and sorcery epic features of late... Read more
Published 7 months ago by K. Gordon
Great tv film!
When this was first released on channel 4 in 1998, it was one of those big tv events. It had stars, it had good CGI and was an epic, magical saga in the time before Harry Potter... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Charlotte Grimshaw
Past TV
I feel very lucky to find this version of 'Merlin' with Sam Neil.
I was reminded of it by the more modern follies.
Delivery was very prompt
Great
I was reminded of it by the more modern follies.
Delivery was very prompt
Great
Published 14 months ago by Dr A J Wilkinson
Merlin DVD
This version has been shown on TV a couple of times. Kept my interest - worth purchasing and viewing.
Published 18 months ago by Libby
Love it
This was made for Sundar afternoons! Anyone who may have seen it on TV knows how good it is. It's a really rich take on the Arthurian Legend, told from Merlin's point of view, from... Read more
Published on 5 Mar 2010 by G. W. Davies
Merlin - wondrous
Absolutely Love it! An underrated classic! This version deserves far more attention than it received.
Published on 15 Dec 2009 by Jay Downs
merlin dvd
I watched 'Merlin' when it was first aired on channel four all those years ago.
I loved it then and I still love it now. Read more
I loved it then and I still love it now. Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2009 by B. Nessa
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