Avalon High (2010 TV Movie) User Reviews

Unexpected Surprise

[nowego · 7/10 · 5 June 2018]

I stumbled on this one after reading Britt Robertson's biography. Britt plays the lead role of Allie Pennington.

Being a television movie and a Disney Channel one at that, I didn't expect much, but what a surprise.

Very well acted, funny, lots of action especially near the end, a bit of romance and general all round good fun. I really liked Allie Pennington's parents played by Don Lake and Ingrid Park, they did a very good job and made me smile each time they were on screen.

A great movie that all ages could watch, no over the top violence to speak of and the sword fighting is quite well done.

I haven't read the book that this is based on so can't say whether it is true to the book or not, but based on some of the reviews by reviewers who have it doesn't do the book justice. I can not comment on that, I liked the movie for itself. It stands on its own. Well done Disney Channel.

Highly recommended and I would very likely watch this again, it is a feel good movie.

It was good, but it could've been a lot better.

[starxxgirl · 5/10 · 29 December 2010]

I've read the book and I just saw the movie and pretty much the only character they got right were Jen and Lance. Mr. Moore was supposed to be Merlin, Marco was supposed to be Mordrid (I don't even know was he's supposed to be in the movie) Ellie was supposed to be The Lady of the Lake (no one had that part in the movie), Will was supposed to be King Arthur and there was no Miles. The mismatch of the characters almost completely destroyed the movie for me. It was a good movie, but if they had just gotten the characters right, it would have been a LOT better. I don't see why when a book turns into a movie, a LOT of things have to change, it usually ruins the movie.

Cute Disney channel movie with some romance and action.

[msrich393 · 5/10 · 24 December 2010]

I don't really watch Disney channel movies anymore but I had to watch this movie because I'm a big fan of the book.

There are a LOT of changes in the plot but I think the Disney channel transformed the story into something that most people can enjoy. The film was a little boring to me at some parts, and the plot got forced at one point.

I think if you know about King Arthur legendary or you've read the book Avalon High (by Meg Cabot) than you can understand everything and enjoy it.

The acting wasn't so bad. I think Brittany Robertson was great, she really carried the movie. She had great chemistry with Gregg Sulkin and the friendship between her and Miles (played by Joey Pollari) was very convincing.

For a Disney channel movie I think it was actually pretty good, perfect for a Netflix watch.

I'd give it 5 out of ten stars.

Cute...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 21 March 2023]

Allie Pennington transfers to a new school, Avalon High, where she discovers that her classmates are reincarnated King Arthur and his court. Now her mission is to solve the school's mystery before Mordred wins again. Allie also meets the school's football quarterback, Will Wagner (Gregg Sulkin), who brings the Arthurian legend back to a contemporary high school. Allie believes that Will is King Arthur and that Marco, the evil half-brother is Mordred.

Despite all the fantasy around, about King Arthur and his Round Table, which sounds banal and childish, silly and silly, however I found the romance, betrayal, past-present, very nice to watch, all very predictable, just like the real thing villain, nothing surprising, the effects, simple, almost fiasco, but who cares, focus on Disney magic and exalted female power (this one is surprising), cute...

no.

[Momorocks · 3/10 · 13 December 2010]

I happen to be a huge Meg Cabot fan, and i loved the book. i was of course totally disappointed. they changed the whole plot to make it into some weird girl power rubbish.characters names, attitudes, insanely important themes all missing. they introduced like 3 new people, changed ELLIE'S name, changed the story's antagonist,and many other things. the acting was fine though, and possibly, had they not massacred Meg Cabot's amazing book, i would not have hated it. unfortunately, that is not the case. They also had nothing to do with the legend, thanks to the changes. hopefully, one day, Disney channel will stop screwing up my favourite things.

Good Family Fun!

[simba218 · 12 November 2010]

Just saw the movie on Disney Channel - I have been looking forward to seeing it since I heard about it - I have always been interested in King Arther and the Knights. This move had some twists and turns that are SO unexpected that it totally takes you off balance. The cast works well together and the writing is fabulous! As an adult seeing this movie, I would say that any child over the age of 10 would be able to handle it. There is violence in the movie (It IS about King Arther after all!) but not overly much. It was refreshing to see a movie that the family can see together without worrying what the kids will see/hear that would not be good for them! The only thing I can say with out spoiling it for everyone is: Do not trust what you think about anyone or anything you see in the movie! Sit back, hold the edge of your seat and enjoy!

Surprisingly good Disney movie :)

[morganmichel1234 · 7/10 · 15 July 2011]

ever since High School Musical came out on Disney Channel, Disney has been trying for many years to make anything close to it. but i have to say, this movie was surprisingly good compared to what has been attempted before. other movies have been no more than hectic clichés and very sad, cheesy story lines. This one, not only being a very different story line, did not contain cheesy or bad acting or story line. i thoroughly enjoyed this one and although it didn't come close to HSM, it was very well done :) a message to other reviewers, please, if you don't like a movie, by all means, share your thoughts and feelings but in a civilized way. sometimes some of you can be to harsh. its not wrong to dislike something, but just try be a little more polite when stating what is wrong with it :) thanks :)

WTF was this?

[jessica_elgersma · 3/10 · 26 November 2011]

The only reason this movie deserves 3 stars is because it is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. It wasn't until about halfway through that i figured out it was not, in fact, a parody of Disney channel movies. However, I still expected a scene at the end where the purple haze clears to reveal the aging stoners that must have written the script of this mess.

Ah, the script. The lines were positively idiotic. Particularly the lines given to Allie's parents and Marco. This movie was not only uncreative, but the ending made no sense at all. So Allie is King Arthur. Huh? So then what's up with Jen and Lance. And what does that make Will? And it would have made a lot more sense for Marco to just be bad. Why couldn't they just have done that?

The acting was awful. But then I doubt that even good actors would have been able to make a script like that work. The characters were trite and one-dimensional, especially because the 'surprise' plot twists only made sense to the addicts who wrote them. The costumes were freakishly cheap and fake-looking, and Will wore more makeup than Allie. Merlin's robes at the end were hilarious. They looked like something a broke World Of Warcraft addict made out of curtains.

In summary: You should watch this on Netflix with a ton of food if you're stoned out of your head because that is the only way you're gonna enjoy this piece of crap.

Don't be so quick to judge ...

[A_Different_Drummer · 8/10 · 6 October 2016]

This is not your average review and this is not your average movie.

Imagine a world when someone not familiar with western culture stumbles onto a random Harry Potter movie? Or a Matrix entry? Do you think with no prior point of reference they would "get" the film as intended? My point is this -- I am a big fan of the Arthur legend and have read a lot about it, both fiction and non-fiction. I am one of several million people (approximately) who finds the core story moving and compelling and almost visceral.

This movie, which even a casual observer will see does not follow the "usual" Disney formula, and is almost entirely plot-driven, and was clearly written by a Arthur buff. And if you are an Arthur buff when you see it, it will have much more impact than the reviews here would indicate.

So, that said, this is a solid film and a young Britt Robertson has more than enough charm to keep things moving to the conclusion.

For those intrigued by the POV expressed in this review and want more, I suggest Excalibur (1981) for film buffs and "The Forever King" by Molly Cochrane for readers.

It will be well worth the effort.

Diverges greatly from the book.

[ramsayreader · 6/10 · 5 August 2019]

It for the most part follows the plot of the book for the first 70% then diverges. The new ending and plot does not make as much sense. Its like they suddenly changed writers and directors almost to the end, there is not much set up for the ending. Its a pretty good DCOM, but I would recommend the book for a more complete story that follows a better plot line.

Camelot 101

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 19 November 2010]

What a strange film to come from the Magic Kingdom about the mythical and legendary King Arthur and his Knights Of The Round Table and his court at Camelot. Imagine going to a school where apparently the only thing you study are the Arthurian legends. Oh and of course play football. If this was a basketball school they could have played the one that Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu graduated from.

Brittany Robertson is a new transfer student to Avalon High School a school where the usual typical kids are going, the jocks, the nerds, the grade grubbers, et al. She gets into her class of Camelot 101 and a strange thing seems to be happening. Gregg Sulkin has a girlfriend named Jen played by Molly Quinn who is cheating on him with his friend Lance played by Christopher Tavarez. All too familiar with the kids studying up on the Arthurian stories.

I will say this there is an interesting twist in the plot, but if you do take a look at the names of all the principal characters in the cast list you will figure out what the twist to come is.

One thing I could not figure out is why British born Gregg Sulkin who kept his accent when he was teenage werewolf on Wizards Of Waverly Place tried so hard to lose it here. Especially with the nature of the story line.

A nice cast makes a really incredible story bearable viewing.

Amazing Movie

[demelzawinters · 10/10 · 14 August 2019]

I'm not gonna lie but this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I've watched this so many times and loved the whole plot. It was very interesting and loved the twist at the end as it made sense. I love Allie and Will together and Gwen and Lance is perfect for each other. They kept me guessing until the very end on who King Arthur was and it made so much sense to me. The acting was fantastic too. If I were a host I'd give this movie an award.

Fun twist on the Arthurian legend

[tcolburn-4 · 7/10 · 29 January 2011]

Avalon High is a fun updating of the Arthur legend. It is totally age appropriate for young teens--as opposed to many of today's films aimed at that age group. A high schooler, Allie, is used to her parents moving frequently, supposedly the result of their scholarship and expertise on the King Arthur legends. She's excited to find out that for once they will be living in a location for longer than six months. On her first day at school, she quickly observes some of the typical--and not so typical--drama that takes place on high school campuses. The audience quickly becomes aware that a modern-day Camelot is unfolding. The characters are a little slower on the uptake. There were no award-winning acting turns, but there were no duds. I think Molly Quinn would have done better in the lead role than Britt Robertson; Quinn has more depth to her as an actress, even though Robertson is older with more credits to her name. The twist at the end was a little out there, and just barely worked, but it was still an entertaining film.

overall horrible movie

[dxlrtz · 1/10 · 1 January 2011]

this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. I understand it's supposed to be cheap and cheesy because it's a Disney channel movie, however this just exudes awfulness. this movie contains some of the worst actors ever and the plot line is ridiculously easy to predict. the characters do not even match their role characters. the movie just rambles on and on with nonsense as fillers for the cheap short storyline. it is as if the director just made up this movie over night and decided "hey let's make a movie." the book is way better and exciting than the movie, and I usually prefer movies over books. The constant foreshadowing does not help the movie at all, it just allows the audience to anticipate the next main event. by far one of the worst Disney channel productions ever. I would not recommend this to any children or adult of any age. Please do not waste your life in watching this movie, go outside and watch the grass grow for more excitement.

Yes King Arthur CAN be a girl.... when Arthur is a sidekick. Like she is, here.

[The_Melancholic_Alcoholic · 7 November 2017]

What really bothered me about this movie is the message it sends.... to girls.

This is an adaptation, I mean: a super dumbed down version of the 'Arthur and the round table'-story for kids....apparently aged four to nine years old. Meg Cabot is the writer, but in doing this, she basically leeches off the original, so, that's not very creative nor original.

Now, all critical reviews that go on and on about how the movie is worse because it changes the plot and characters (there are still some racists so, so UPSET that Lancelot is black... which is kind of funny) are not wrong, but they miss the BIG change in message that is brought about by these changes.

At the end, in a mansplained plot twist, we find out that Allie, not Will, is Arthur, and that she eehm ... SAVES the world and all that. You're probably thinking: but the girl is the hero, how is that man-splaining? Well that is so, because Allie saving the world and being the true hero is NOT the most important thing in the movie. Nope, the most important thing is that WILL can win the "Big Game"!!! Yup. Everything Allie, the girl does, is IN SERVICE to her boyfriend winning the game! That is kinda sexist. Wait, that is VERY sexist. So, you see:

yes, Arthur CAN be a girl, because that girl is SUBORDINATE, as per usual, to male interests: winning a football game. (This is the same as making black people udges, presidents or doctors in film and on TV: it's meaningless because in those movies they are minor characters). She can't ever be a hero in a football game, that world is as closed to her as driving is to Saudi women. Even MORE closed, actually, in 2017. Everyone, including Lance and Jennifer, are putting their happiness aside, so Will can win the game. He's a nice guy, but he's a NON-character ultimately. He's not Merlin, not Mordred, not any sort of knight, he's nothing and no one, so why is HE MORE important han Allie, he gets the Big Movie Finale Allies happiness and recognition, who is King Arthur after all, are ultimately deemed less important than "the game".

So, let's analyze how this absolute disaster came about. It started with the writers wanting to make Cabots story their own. They wanted Ellie, not Will to b e Arthur, so they changed her name to Allie because it starts with an "A". They forgot about the Lancelot/Guinivere thing, though. Then they added some more "plot twists" like changing the Mordred character, adding the Merlin character, etc. And ipso presto, here you have this absolute stinker. Oh well.

Cabot's story is by no means flawless, but it kind of made sense. She erased all female characters but Allie: Morgana Le Fey, Lady of the Lake, Niniane who took the powers of Merlin. Also missing: Morgause, Sir Gawains mother? Lady of Shallott, Elaine? Since her mother and Jennifer have very few lines, Allie is in practicality, the ONLY female character, the rest is ALL males. This is weird. In fact, its not only weird. It is SHAMEFULL.

A forgotten DCOM from the 2010s

[lisafordeay · 6/10 · 1 August 2023]

Avalon High is a DCOM adventure and stars Britt Robertson(The Longest Ride) and Gregg Sulkin(World Of Fire and Wizards Of Waverly Place) and it tells the story of a young girl who discovers that she is the decendant of King Arthur. But when an evil warlock wants to defeat her,will she defeat him along with her friends and save the day?.

Overall I actually enjoyed this film. I haven't seen it in a long time as I forgot it was on Disney Plus. The acting was good,the special effects is average (then again its a made for TV movie what can you expect) along with the plot which was good too. If you haven't seen it do check it out on Disney Plus.

Screenwriters should actually read the book

[vesperstella · 1/10 · 13 March 2011]

The movie in itself wasn't bad, but to give it the same name and say it's based on the book was a bold faced lie. Not only was the plot WAY messed up, but the names weren't even right!!! I looked at the cast and it says Lance Benwick, the book clearly says multiple times his name is Lance Reynolds, not to mention the protagonist, Elaine Harrison, not Allie Pennington. She's supposed to be the Lady of the Lake, not King Arthur. Why would Will's life parallel to Arthur's so much, then all of a sudden, haha,just kidding, it's Allie, who's supposed to be Ellie. If you like the book, you can like this movie if you turn it off about 20 minutes before the end of the movie.

Slow but Enjoyable

[kyleshabet · 6/10 · 25 March 2020]

I haven't read the book but from what I have researched into it the movie actually brought surprises and switched it up compared to the book. So I appreciate that.

The overall plot is very slow and what promises a "fantasy" genre story isn't the case until the last 20 minutes. Before that it's full of teen melodrama that is stretched so thin that you really don't care for any characters.

What was that?

[da_crazy_mahn · 2/10 · 19 May 2011]

I know this is Disney but... come on! The script is horrible. The special effects are pathetic (worse than the Disney TV shows and that says a lot). And the acting is so bad it is hard to believe that at least four of main actors have regular jobs on TV.

I have seen in other reviews that the book is apparently much better. If that is the case I pity the poor people that had to watch this abomination with prior knowledge of the written material and came to this with expectations of something they would like.

I watched this because I thought that Britt Robertson (from LUX) and Molly Quinn (from Castle) have a great future in acting ahead of them. After this little incoherent debacle my faith in that prognosis is shaken.

An Amazing Film

[dory23011993 · 10/10 · 1 January 2011]

Background Allie Pennington portrayed by Britt Robertson starts a new school named Avalon High. Her parents are authors of Medieval Literature. She meets a boy named Will Wagner. The class is studying Arthurian History. Allie Pennington comes across a prophecy named the order of the bears.

Review Do not miss this epic adventure of a film. Grab your horses and see this film to see Gregg Sulkin playing a character. He is a London born actor and he has played many film roles and used his British accent. You can tell that he has tried to cover the accent up but there are times where you can hear the English accent come out. He is a great actor and portrays Will Wagner as an amazing character.

Watch out for all the actors and actresses giving a great performance. Also look out for a great twist in the story.

Not to sound like a whining book lover but.....

[skpn123 · 7/10 · 5 March 2022]

I soooooo don't like the changes from the book (aside from the character of Merlin) and normally I am the one defending these changes in movies.....

But for me my dislike was more when I read the novel which just seemed to flow so much better.....

In addition I did not find the key characters 'fitting'. Allie was just not an Elle, Will was OK but not the vibrant and decisive personality in the book.....

Not a terrible film, but just OK...... would have liked more effort to add more of the magic of the novel......

Read the book it's better!!!

[brittanyisawesome · 3/10 · 15 July 2017]

OK, if you watched the movie without reading the book you might like this movie. But, I read the novel and it was really good. There is so many things wrong with this movie it is not faithful to the book and it changes so many characters counter-parts to the King Arthur reincarnation thing. There was no chemistry between the two leads like there was in the book. The girl's name in the movie is Allie but in the book it is Ellie so that made me really upset. But, if you read the book and haven't seen this movie please don't watch this! It will make you angry!

It's really not a bad movie

[sarahgroves-45524 · 10/10 · 27 February 2019]

It's not bad as people are making it out to be. They are mad because they changed the ending but that made it more exciting

Twist ruined the movie

[theiceprincess-95846 · 6/10 · 7 January 2019]

This movie was really interesting and entertaining. However I didn't like the twist at the end. It would have made more sense without the twist. Now I am left with even more questions than I started with regarding who is the reincarnation of who and how the King Arthur and Gwen thing is meant to work. The twist feels like last second idea that wasn't really thought out to stop the plot holes. From my research this twist was not in the book "Avalon High" by Meg Cabot that this movie is meant to be based on. I personally believe Disney only did the twist the fit in with societies feminist movement. Up until the twist this was an amazing movie. If they had planned the twist better fixing the plot holes then this movie would have been a 9/10. Perhaps even 10/10. Great acting. Fascinating idea. Brilliant introduction and build up. Let down in the end by plot holes and a confusing twist.

Good as a TV movie - not as a adaptation of the book

[KittyCat33 · 4/10 · 26 March 2011]

I must admit, I do love a good Disney movie and this was a decent enough Disney movie. However, I am also a big fan of Meg Cabot's book and I don't agree with Disney changing what would have been a perfectly good script. In the book, everything lines up with the Arthurian legend; Will is King Arthur, Marco is Mordred etc. In the film, however, Allie is King Arthur (which is meant to be a "surprise plot twist" but actually doesn't make any sense), Marco is only pretending to be bad (because after all folks it is a kids movie) and Will character isn't part of the legend at all. It would appear that Disney were trying to give the movie a feminist slant, going for the 'girls can do everything boys can do" attitude (evident when the teacher, Mr Moore who is Mordred in the movie, says "King Arthur can't be a girl"). However, by doing this the story, especially the love triangle between Lance (Lancelot), Jennifer (Guinevere) and Will makes absolutely NO SENSE. I don't think that Disney realised that the original plot in the book does actually give great credence to Ellie, not Allie. Ellie is the Lady of the Lake, the women that gives King Arthur Excalibur and who protects him. Arthur would be nothing without the Lady of the Lake and so the plot as is was pretty feminist already. In my opinion, Disney's changes were silly, poorly thought out and entirely unnecessary. In saying that I did enjoy the first hour of the film and found the character of Miles (Merlin) to be a great addition. Overall, I think the film is good but with such significant changes made to the plot and the ending, I do not think Disney should of marketed this as a adaptation of the book. It would have been better as a stand alone TV movie.