Merlin (1998/II) (TV)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Steve Barron

Writers (WGA):

David Stevens (teleplay) and
Peter Barnes (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

26 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Action | Romance

Tagline:

The most magical adventure of all time.

Plot:

The legendary wizard tells his story of his war against Queen Mab of the Sidhe and his creation of Camelot.

Plot Keywords:

Magic | Wizard | King | Lake | Arthurian Legend

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Sam Neill	...	Merlin
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Morgan Le Fey
John Gielgud	...	King Constant
Rutger Hauer	...	King Vortigern
James Earl Jones	...	Mountain King (voice)
Miranda Richardson	...	Mab, Queen of the Old Ways / The Lady of the Lake
Isabella Rossellini	...	Nimue
Martin Short	...	Frik
Paul Curran	...	Arthur
Lena Headey	...	Guinevere
Jeremy Sheffield	...	Lancelot
Mark Jax	...	Uther
John McEnery	...	Lord Ardente
Thomas Lockyer	...	Cornwall
Jason Done	...	Mordred

Runtime:

182 min | 60 min (3 episodes)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Not Rated | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Anglesey, Wales, UK

Company:

Hallmark Entertainment

Trivia:

Actors Nickolas Grace and Robert Addie, best known for their roles as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Sir Guy of Gisburne in the TV series "Robin of Sherwood" (1984), have a cameo scene together in this miniseries - a nod to fans of the beloved '80s fantasy show.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Merlin defeats Queen Mab by telling the people to forget her, as she is entirely a legend. However, he proceeds to retell the story for years afterward, ensuring that she is remembered and preserving her legend. However, it is also possible that the story old Merlin retells actually doesn't contain Mab character at all - as Frik noticed, Merlin altered the true story when he retold it for children. So, we cannot be sure the story we saw during the movie and the story Merlin retells are the same.

Quotes:

Merlin: Things fall apart, they say. Uther had betrayed me, killed Cornwall. But then, I'd betrayed Igraine by helping Uther seduce her. So the wheel of life turns - one betrayal leads to another and another. The innocent die. It haunted me for the rest of my life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Matthew Broderick/Natalie Merchant (#23.19)" (1998)

A Overwhelming and Wonderful Tale of the Old Ways

An old Merlin (Sam Neill) tells his saga, since his conception through the magic of the evil Queen Mab (the outstanding Miranda Richardson). His love for Nimue (Isabella Rossellini), the discovery of his power, the lessons of Frik (Martin Short), his fight against Mab, his association with Lord Vortigen (Rutger Hauer) and King Uther Pendragon (Mark Jax), the birth of Arthur (Paul Curran), the romance with his sister Morgan Le Fey (Helena Bonham Carter) and the birth and creation of Mordred (Jason Done), the marriage with Guinevere (Lena Headley), Excalibur, the betrayal of Lancelot (Jeremy Sheffield), the fall of Camelot, all of this presented in an environment of magic, action, romance, drama betrayal. For me, one of the best movies ever made. I have watched this magnificent film at least three times on VHS and yesterday on DVD. This overwhelming and wonderful tale of the old ways is unforgettable. My vote of course is ten.