The Sword in the Stone (45th Anniversary Special Edition)
by Wolfgang Reitherman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alan Napier, Junius Matthews, Norman Alden, Sebastian Cabot, The Mello MenDirector: Wolfgang Reitherman
Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 79 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-06-17
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product features:
- In London, during medieval times, there was a large stone with a heavy sword imbedded in it. The man who could pull the sword from the stone would become king of England, but no man, despite his strength, was able to complete the deed. However, when a young lad named Wart appears, he just might be able to pull off the impossible. Thisic Disney feature, based on the children's book by T.H.
Movie Reviews of The Sword in the Stone (45th Anniversary Special Edition)
Movie Review: Pretty Good Entertainment
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Sword in the Stone" is a nice little Disney picture. Animated and only 79 minutes long, it is ... just right ... for those of us whose attention spans are easily challenged.
This movie is adapted from a book of the same title (written by T.H. White). Mr. White's book follows the early life of a famous British folklore hero, King Arthur (a legendary monarch of the 6th century). Bill Peet, the Disney story writer who wrote the adaptation, took the book and picked this, chose that, and changed this a little, and, in the end, did an outstanding job of producing a screen play that is funny and enjoyable.
According to the story, a sword is magically thrust deep into an anvil that sits on top of a large stone. It is decreed (on the sword itself) that who-so-ever is able to remove the sword from the stone shall be anointed king of England. Many men try ... but they all fail. Then, after a long time has passed, a youth named Arthur appears on the scene and, miraculously, he pulls the sword from the stone ... and then is made ruler over all of England.
The story also includes another legendary character ... Merlin the magician. Merlin is wise, powerful ... and dotty. He foresees the arrival of the twelve year old Arthur and he feels that it is fore-ordained for him, Merlin, to be the boy's teacher/mentor/companion to guide the lad toward some mysterious destiny.
Merlin, Arthur, and Merlin's pet owl Archimedes (who can talk) then embark on three magical adventures ... afterwhich the movie moves swiftly to the dramatic moment of Arthur and the sword.
The writing for "The Sword in the Stone" is good. No trouble is too serious or too scary and the trouble scenes are never drawn out. The bad guys (and bad creatures) are never allowed to win too much and our heroes are never allowed to lose too much. The importance of education is emphasized, but not over-emphasized. The story moves along at a comfortable pace, and all the scenes are believable ... in-as-much-as the behavior and reactions of the characters are plausible and credible. And there is a delicate charm and some depth of goodness in there too. Incidentally, Merlin is given some pretty good lines to speak, and the squirrel scene is delightful.
The voice characterizations in "The Sword in the Stone" are very good. Karl Swenson provides the voice of Merlin, and he is wonderful. Junius Matthews does the voice for Archimedes the owl, and he is superb also. But the portrayals of the bad guys (often considered plum roles by actors and actresses; ones that they relish playing) in "The Sword in the Stone" are also done exceptionally well and they add a great deal of strength to the movie. Sebastian Cabot provides the voice for Arthur's boisterous and self-important master Sir Ector ... and this would be the refined, articulate, and dignified Sebastian Cabot ... and he is very convincing as the crass and uncouth Ector. Norman Alden uses his voice talents to portray Sir Ector's son Kay, and he also does an excellent job. Kay is an ill-mannered oaf, but after watching "The Sword in the Stone" a few times you begin to appreciate the good job Alden does ... with a minimum of lines ... in making this crude and rude character come to life. Martha Wentworth does the voice of the evil Madame Mim ... and she is a real treat. Madame Mim absolutely delights in the macabre, and Wentworth seems to have absolutely delighted in playing her.
All in all, "The Sword in the Stone" gives us some pretty good entertainment and is deserving of repeated viewings.
Summary of The Sword in the Stone (45th Anniversary Special Edition)
UPC:786936761627DESCRIPTION: Humor, spectacle and magic rule in Walt Disney s legendary classic tale The Sword In The Stone now celebrating its 45th Anniversary with exciting new bonus features!
Embark on an adventure-filled quest for an unlikely hero! According to legend, only someone with honor, decency and inner strength can claim the throne of England by pulling out the enchanted sword that lies locked in a massive stone. Many brave knights have tried, so it seems impossible that a young apprentice known as Wart could succeed. But with the guidance of the wizard Merlin, help from some hilarious friends and true strength of character, Wart just might become England s greatest king.
There s even more wizardry fun with marvelous new bonus features including the all-new Merlin s Magical Academy game, animated shorts, Disney s song selection and much more! The Sword In The Stone: 45th Anniversary Special Edition DVD is a magical experience your whole family will want to share again and again!
END
Based upon T.H. White's beloved novel, this Disney-fied version chronicles the tutoring of the Once and Future King, Arthur, as handled by the magician Merlin. Sword was a portent of things to come, with slapstick upbraiding storytelling, and cultural in-jokes substituting for wonder. But there's much to enjoy here as Merlin shows Newt, the young Arthur, things that will help him become the ruler of the Britons. The transformation sequences, where the boy is turned into a fish, a bird, and a squirrel are vintage Disney. The oft-repeated scene of Merlin battling it out with the mean old Madame Mim still is worth a few chuckles, but it belies the problem with most of the film--the scenes are only there for the chuckles. References by Merlin to television and other items of modern life also mar the generally innocuous landscape. Children will like it, but they won't cherish it. --Keith Simanton
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