Arthur the King (1983 TV Movie) User Reviews

The one redeeming virtue

[cheetahlee · 3/10 · 10 April 2022]

The actors tried, they really did, but it was badly cast, the writing was so-so. The one redeeming virtue in this film is the only dramatization of Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady that I've ever seen. This is a wonderful story, and should be made into its own movie. Go read it, and learn something very important -- what is it that women truly want?

Pretty bad

[artzau · 3/10 · 21 January 2002]

I guess Dyan Cannon, Macolm McDowell, Edward Woodward, Candy Bergen, Liam Neeson and Rupert Everett must have been in it just for the paycheck. This film is bad-- even for TV. I rented it because I was desperate for a bit of romance for my wife who was ill. Well, it was a stinker. The low budget special effects were out of the three stooges era. The fight scene with King Arthur and the "Undead knight" was a high point, reminding me of Monty Python's Holy Grail. I could go on and on about the abuses to the Arthurian legend but this film is a parody of itself and little more can be said on that account. My biggest disappointment was Candace Bergen who has been a long time fav. Another reviewer here has already noted the shortcoming in her role and we can leave it at that. Neeson was absolutely comical; Everett was ghastly; Woodward was his hambone usual delightful self and Dyan Cannon, (born the same year as myself) was great because she was playing herself. Unless, you're really bored and looking for a lampoon of a costume drama, I might not recommend this one.

I like it

[renaissance_woman2001 · 30 June 2003]

I remember seeing this movie a long time ago when I was young. And I remember liking it, of course I was a youth. But, still, what I liked about it was the fact that it had the Arthurian element of fantasy to it. I like that in any movie, so-called "good" or "bad." By the way, does anybody know where I can find this movie to either rent or buy so I can make a wiser judgment for myself?

Thanks for any info, my email address should be available after the comment.

The absolute pits

[BrianV · 1/10 · 30 January 1999]

Unbelievable. This movie is without a doubt one of the poorest excuses for wasting celluloid I have ever seen. I like the whole King Arthur/Knights of the Round Table genre, so I was prepared to give it a little latitude when I started watching it and saw in what direction it was going (downhill), but this movie's stupefying ineptness is mind-boggling. Candace Bergen in a red Bozo the Clown wig, cackling maniacally as she spouts gibberish that is supposed to be magic spells, Liam Neeson playing a Pictish barbarian talking like an Indian in a 1930s western ("Me have many babies with this woman! Me go now!"), poorly staged "battles" that looked more like a crowd of drunks lurching into each other, cheesy special effects, and some of the most brainless dialogue this side of "Plan 9 from Outer Space" combine to make this movie a laugh riot. The "acting" is at a junior-high school level, the photography is washed out, it appears to have been edited with a chainsaw--and they are just its =good= qualities. All in all, an experience to remember--if you can stay awake (I couldn't; I missed the last 20 minutes because this thing put me to sleep...).

what the ....?

[onepotato2 · 1/10 · 25 December 2004]

I thought (I recall) that lifelong-super-dingbat Dyan Cannon was responsible for this atrocity. It was about this time I began to detest her hopelessly cheerful, west-coast, idiocy. She has a brand of brewed-in-California, positive-vibes only, spacy on & off-topic blather that she employs to derail every conversation she particpates in.

I remember watching a bit of this with my mouth hanging open. There is a particularly appalling scene/effect with Cannon and Merlin holding hands and spinning in the cave for some unknown purpose.

What on earth is Malcolm MacDowell doing in this? It really has to be seen to be believed. One of the worst made-for-TV movies ever!

This is the second review of this movie

[merri488 · 1/10 · 22 November 2004]

Yes, I've watched it again in 2004 and it did not age well. I was mostly looking for the Gawain/Lady Ragnell story line which I 'remembered' as being wonderful. It's probably the only redeeming part of this movie aside from Edward Woodward's performance. The basic plot has an American tourist (Dyan Cannon) visiting Stonehedge, falling into a hole and suddenly being in the presence of Merlin (Woodward) and Ninnian.

As Merlin and Ninnian explain how they come to be trapped under Stonehenge we see flashbacks of Arthur (Malcom McDowell) and Guinevere along with Lancelot (Rupert Everett looking VERY young). Candice Bergen is there as Morgan Lefaye in a wig that is NOT to be believed. Mostly it's an abysmal job. The fight scenes between the knights are poorly edited. Seeing Liam Neeson as 'Grak' is almost worth the cost of microwave popcorn tho.

Patrick Ryecart's story line subplot at Gawain was edited with a hacksaw in this movie. I do not remember it being so back in 1985 when I originally watched it on television. What butchery! If you want a laugh at nonexistent special effects then this is your movie. I bought it for 99cents on ebay and while it satisfied my curiosity...boy is it a stinker!

Throw this one back into the lake!

[Mephisto-24 · 1/10 · 13 July 2001]

Probably the worst movie ever inspired by or blamed on Arthurian myth, this features some talented actors struggling valiantly with terrible miscasting (only Dyan Cannon as an American tourist seems comfortable in her role) and an awful script. The sets look cheap and stagey, and the only entertaining thing about the whole film is how laughably bad the special effects are. This is so utterly without redeeming features that I can't recommend this to anyone - fantasy fans, fans of any of the actors, not even lovers of bad movies.

Worth Seeing if You are in that Arthurian Mood

[merri488 · 1/10 · 27 October 2004]

Yes this is the movie with the Gawain-Lady Ragnell marriage in it. I hunted high and low for it online and finally found it here. This is not a great adaption of the Arthurian legend but parts of it are certainly worth seeing.

The idea of an American falling through a hole 'ala Alice In Wonderland was completely ridiculous but many of the actors do a fine job in this movie. Add it to your list and spend some time watching it. It's definitely a good romance between Gawain and Lady Ragnell (cursed to look like a boar/pig until kissed by her true love).

McDowell gives a fair performance. Edward Woodward is outstanding as usual.

I was surprised that I actually like the view of Mordred.

Let's face it, it's tough to top Excalibur but eventually someone will!

appalling

[astrakhan-620-361971 · 1/10 · 28 December 2009]

Find any aspiring young film makers and force them to watch this as a lesson in how to bugger up a film in every department, and thats every department.....script, directing, lighting, ccstumes, acting, action scenes, editing,....absolutely nothing escapes the awfulness that seeps from this turkey that would make acorn antiques look like the royal Shakespeare company, The cast list is second to none and how on earth any of them took part will probably rank alongside the mystery of the origin of the universe......In summary, take the best grapes from a region called champagne, give it to the masters, and produce.......tesco value cola.................

merlin and the sword

[moodybluesgurl_1 · 8/10 · 5 March 2007]

i personally loved this movie, i especially loved Edward Woodward aka The Equalizer, as Merlin and i thought Candice did an interesting job as Morgan, she portrayed Morgan as having a really bad day with a hell of a chip on her shoulder but decent none the less. even though i don't typically like ones that put her in a bad light. i liked this since i was a child and i still think it is a charming movie, true it was done low budget and is nowhere near the blockbuster Excalibur was but still worth seeing. is is great if your interested in the story of Gawain and Lady Ragnell's relationship sice most films don't even mention the two of them. and it of course includes the romance between lance and gwen. i liked the spunk they gave to gwen in this, a girl that has some fight in her who yells no when her captors wanted to have their way with her and they back off. so all in all i would definitely recommend this film, especially if you are like me and like edward woodward. great brit actor.

So bad, it is bad!!

[beresfordjd · 1/10 · 15 February 2011]

This is on as I type. I have just happened upon it while channel surfing. My God it is worse than appalling. How actors like Edward Woodward, Malcolm McDowell, and Candice Bergen got suckered into this is beyond me. Rupert Everett is an awful actor and deserves nothing better, but the others!! It really is beyond awful and nothing about it has the ring of authenticity. The script must have been written by that limitless number of monkeys that everyone talks about. It does actually go to show that good actors are only really as good as the material they have to work with and no- one comes out of this smelling of roses. A friend of mine taught Everett as a teenager and liked him but I think he is a minor talent who looked good as a youth but has nothing to offer as a mature actor. There is absolutely nothing to recommend this as a film not even a " so bad it is good" kind of recommendation-it is merely an embarrassment.

Classic Fantasy at it's best

[ladymystic · 10/10 · 15 March 2005]

OK, I maybe the only one to say this, but this was a great movie for it's time. It's a great Classic movie in my opinion. I've watched this movie since I first saw it on TV in 1985. I copied it with our first VCR at that time, and have since worn out that tape from watching it. Since then I have had two other copies of this movie. I think I've watched it about 30-40 times and shown it to countless friends, who agree that it was well done considering that it was made in the 80's. But, it goes to prove that the classics do live on with those who love them. I have to admit though that some will like the movie and others will hate it because they think it's to old and out dated. But, for those who like Arthurian stories it's good and also different. I have always thought this movies was better than Excalibur by far. I became a big fan of Malcolm MacDowell after I first saw this movie. The only problem that I had with it was the actress who played Guinavere was really not that good of an actress in my eyes. She didn't seem real to me at all. Ah, but Rupert Everette as Lancelot, was hot!

uncovered ground

[juliesteph · 13 November 2000]

This movie is, as the previous comment tells, pretty bad. However, the one redeeming quality of it is that it covers some ground that no other Arthurian movies (to my knowledge) cover: characters such as Gawain, Agravain, and Mordred have more than bit parts and the famous "rape of Guinevere" story is also dealt with. It is a very 80's film, though; the makeup and costumes capture that anachronism rather glaringly.

Dumb sword and sorcery opus.

[barnabyrudge · 8 December 2003]

Merlin and the Sword (a.k.a Arthur The King) is a genuinely terrible sword and sorcery opus which features a cast full of seasoned old pros and young stars of the future. Quite how these talented actors and actresses were persuaded to lend their faces to this ridiculous production is anybody's guess, but after a while it becomes embarrassing to watch so many gifted thespians sinking in the quicksand of such a foolish script. Director Clive Donner has made some good films too, so one has to wonder what was going through his mind when he agreed to direct this turkey. Perhaps everyone involved had some overdue bills to pay!

An American tourist, Katharine (Dyan Cannon), is on a day-trip at the ancient monument of Stonehenge when she inadvertently falls down a hole. When she lands at the bottom, she finds herself in a cave - no normal cave, mind you, but a cave which which houses the famous wizard Merlin (Edward Woodward) and his lover Niniane (Lucy Gutteridge). Merlin has apparently been imprisoned with his lover in this cave for a thousand years. The arrival of Katharine gives him an excuse to tell a story, and pretty soon he is narrating a tale about his old companion King Arthur (Malcolm McDowell). Merlin tells of Arthur's marriage to the lovely Queen Guinevere (Rosalyn Landor); the poisonous plotting of Arthur's treacherous half-sister Morgan Le Fay (Candice Bergen); and the forbidden love affair between Guinevere and the trusted knight Sir Lancelot (Rupert Everett).

This cheapjack fantasy never really works in spite of the strong cast. There's something fundamentally stupid about the plot, which could have been serviceable if dealt with in a more tongue-in-cheek manner, but here comes across as merely risible. There's also something terribly wrong with the general atmosphere of the film.... maybe it's the hopelessly '80s music score which is as cheesy as a lump of mature cheddar; maybe it's the over-modernised dialogue which doesn't ring true amid the Middle Ages period trappings; maybe it's the atrocious special effects; or maybe it's just the all-round air of indifference which affects the film both infront of and behind the cameras. It's hard to believe that Rupert Everett and Liam Neeson (here guilty of lacklustre performances) ever went on to become big stars. It's equaly hard to believe that the likes of Woodward, McDowell, Bergen and Michael Gough (who has a bit-part as a forgetful archbishop) ever were big stars in their own right. On the whole, this is definitely one to skip!

Yes, it's bad, but it's good for heckling.

[Annigerria · 26 June 2003]

I saw this movie years ago on the late show - was switching channels and came across Dyan Cannon in Stonehenge... that piqued my interest... and then there was Malcolm McDowell and Liam Neeson... and Edward Woodward as the great wizard Merlin... this movie is Grade Z, but the cast is fantastic... this is one to invite friends over, crack the six-pack and heckle. I'd love to get a copy for this reason alone. I'm surprise MS3K hasn't picked on it yet!