Goofs for
Excalibur (1981) More at IMDbPro »

• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Full plate metal armor was not invented until about the year 1350, and not used in Europe until much later than that. Numerous such anachronisms (use of stirrups, weaponry) can be excused as being faithful to Malory's book, which followed the conventions of the time of making historical characters behave in a contemporary way.
  
  
• Boom mic visible: Boom mike reflected King Arthur's armour.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: During the wedding scene, the camera is reflected in Arthur's armor.
  
  

• Continuity: After killing Mordred, the spear in Arthur's chest disappears.
  
  
• Continuity: Distance between Mordred and Arthur in the spear scene.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: Percival says that he sees Sir Gawain's body tied to a horse, but it is clearly not Liam Neeson, the actor who played Gawain.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: After casting his spell on Uther, Merlin turns toward the camera, showing the reflection of the cameraman and camera in his helmet.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: Arthur jumps from Leondegrance's castle wall to take Uryens off his horse, and then appears to be trampled by that horse.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: During Merlin's speech to the knights, just prior to Arthur's announcement of the round table, etc., the hose supplying the gas for his flaming staff can be seen at its base.
  
  
• Continuity: When Lancelot is injured and Merlin heals him, Guinevere holds Lancelot's hand up close to her but in the next shot, their hands are resting on his body.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During the final battle sequence, Sir Hector can be seen wildly hacking away at an enemy in close proximity to King Arthur, when he strikes Arthur on the back of his head with a full blow from his sword. Arthur, appearing momentarily stunned, grabs the back of his head but being faced with an opponent and film rolling, continued the fight sequence with his left arm up in the air to protect his head as he tried to move away from Hector who was still wildly swinging at the other actor - completely oblivious of the blow that he had inflicted on Arthur who was standing directly behind him.
  
  
• Plot holes: Although the film's tagline says "Forged by a God," in fact, Excalibur is said in the movie to be a fang of the Earth Dragon; as such, the blade would have been carved - not forged - from the original fang.
  
  
• Factual errors: When Perceval is about to defend the queen in combat, he and Sir Gawain are shown bearing shields with the same device. As heraldic devices were supposed to be unique to an individual, this should not be possible. Further, the device shown is that later attributed to Sir Lancelot, therefore Sir Gawain would never use such a shield.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: In the scene where Excalibur is returned to Arthur before the final battle, a camera, camera man, and sound man along with several lights and other crew can be clearly seen in Arthur's armor.
  
  
• Anachronisms: The scene of Arthur and his supports (just after pulling Excalibur) are storming the castle. The armored soldiers coming over the castle wall are smoking cigarettes. You can see smoke and a couple of cigarettes hanging out of their visors as they pass in front of the camera.
  
  

• Continuity: SPOILER: When the dead Cornwall is first pictured within his castle, his eyes are open. Then they are shown closed. Then they are shown open just before the young Morgana closes them.
  
  

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