Excalibur Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1981

The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has been captured on film repeatedly. In 1981 director John Boorman tossed his hat into the ring with Excalibur, his adaptation of the popular legend. Bringing together a who's-who of famed actors and a lush, atmospheric backdrop, Excalibur is a must-see for fans of the legend or fantasy genre.

John Boorman (Deliverance) is a director that attempts to take his movies beyond the normal standards, lending a memorable element to them that survives through the decades. Excalibur is a film that so badly tries to maintain an epic feel, yet it ends up falling just a bit short of its goals.

The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is so detailed and intricate that I won't bother repeating the plotline here. Suffice it to say that Boorman very much succeeds in capturing the richness of the tale. You will want to pay attention as you watch Excalibur since this film covers a huge quantity of characters and happenings in a relatively short time (about 2 and a half hours).

Excalibur stars Nigel Terry as King Arthur, and it took me a little while to warm up to his performance. He simply did not possess the regality and strength one expects from Arthur during the early portions of the movie, but as the film progressed and he moved from squire to king he started fitting into the role. By the end of the film I still wasn't in love with the casting choice for King Arthur, but Terry overall performance didn't disappoint me or detract from the film.

Nicol Williamson was well cast as the eccentric and somewhat scatterbrained wizard, Merlin. Nicholas Clay stars as Lancelot, Arthur's favorite righteous knight that must battle his desire for Arthur's fine wife, Guenevere (Cherie Lunghi).

Boorman's Excalibur contains an assortment of British actors that were at the top of their game as well as brilliant newcomers who would move on to become big-name stars of their own. Three such budding actors that starred in this 1981 film and have since gone on to become large Hollywood names are Patrick Stewart (as Leondegrance), Gabriel Byrne (as Uther Pendragon) and Liam Neeson (as Gawain).

The gorgeous sets lend the film a powerful atmosphere and visual beauty, and the many battles within are well choreographed and often fairly gritty. In fact Boorman's adaptation of the King Arthur legend is aimed towards adults, for it does not shy away from bloody battles, nudity and incest. None of it is gratuitous by any means – it's necessary to lend credence to the tale it tells – but Excalibur isn't a film that should be considered family faire.

Technically the impressive casting, perfectly selected sets and rich adherence to the original storyline should have created an unforgettable epic, but yet something about the total package just didn't feel right to me. The pace was by no means boring; there's always something going on in this film. Nonetheless at times it almost seemed to drag a bit.

That being said, Excalibur is still a very good film that comes highly recommended for movie fans. I enjoyed the rich viewing experience very much, and think all fantasy fans will also be very pleased with this movie.

Movie rating: 7 stars

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