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| Merlin (Special Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Steve Barron
Actors: Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson, Helena Bonham Carter, John Gielgud, Martin Short
Studio: Lions Gate
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $7.80
You Save: $7.18 (48%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $5.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (320 reviews)
Sales Rank: 3319
Format: Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 182 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: D13253D
UPC: 707729132530
EAN: 0707729132530
ASIN: B0002235PS
Release Date: June 8, 2004
Theatrical Release Date: April 26, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential video
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 miniseries 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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| Customer Reviews: Read 315 more reviews...
 A solid rendering -- full-screen version June 15, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
For fantasy movie fans this one is a big winner. It's Merlin's story, told in retrospect by the old necromancer himself.
The casting is near perfect, the scenery and sets are superb, the cinematography is terrific, and the story continuity is quite coherent, (the latter of which is a big problem in the subsequent "Merlin's Apprentice").
Merlin is "all good" in a time and place where nefarious scoundrels in leadership abound. He doesn't always immediately seize upon the right answers to various dillemmas as they arise but he's always first devoted to the wellness of mankind, frequently advising his "masters" to cease on the power-monging thing.
The evil witch, a nemesis of Merlin and of mankind in general, does rake on one a bit with her whispery-gravelly voice (she has a LOT of speaking parts throughout the film) but other than that, I thought that this was a fine movie. Clearly, fans of "The Lord of the Rings" films will find this movie to be of near-equal quality, albeit it's not nearly so complex as that fine trilogy.
Unfortunately, I had purchased a full-screen version of this film and the wide-screen one would clearly have been the superior choice. So, I'll pass this copy on to the neighborhood kids and then grab the widescreen one soon. At 182 minutes in length, this is a great film for rainy Saturday afternoons.
Highly recommended.
Merlin is a crowd pleaser June 9, 2008
This movie is a timeless classic. This movie has an all star cast whose performances are just terrific. The effects even look believable for the critical 21st century eye.
Debbie F. May 3, 2008
Great,dependable service; return customer. Fast delivery. Always a pleasure buying from Amazon!! This is a great movie!! Highly recommended.
MAGIC April 24, 2008
Hey all, I have to say that this film is great. If you love anything to do with Merlin or Arthur you need to own this. I was very lucky to find it because I was told it was out of print. Thanks goodness for Amazon!!!
 Terrible! April 8, 2008
0 out of 7 found this review helpful
Yes, I mean terrible! Terrible acting, directing, writing, sets--all on the superficial and unbelievable level of a comic book for a seven-year old. Besides, it's often difficult to follow. And Miranda Richardson as Mab, with her phony evil-lady scratchy voice, really disturbed me, because it was so obviously phony!
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