Knights & Ladies

Ladyhawke

This lushly produced fantasy has gained a loyal following since its release in 1985, and it gave a welcomed boost to the careers of Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Rutger Hauer. You have to ignore the overly aggressive music score (critic Pauline Kael aptly dubbed it "disco-medieval") and director Richard Donner's reckless allowance of anachronistic dialogue and uninspired storytelling, but there's a certain charm to the movie's combination of romance and heroism. Broderick plays a young thief who comes to the aid of tragic lovers Isabeau (Pfeiffer), who is cursed to become a hawk every day at sunrise and Navarre (Hauer) who turns into a wolf at sunset. The curse was cast by an evil sorcerer-bishop (John Wood), and as Broderick eludes the bishop's henchmen, Navarre struggles to conquer the villain, lift the curse, and be reunited with his love in human form. The tragedy of this lovers' dilemma keeps the movie going, and Broderick is well cast as a young, medieval variation of Woody Allen. --Jeff Shannon

The Mists of Avalon

This adaptation of Marion Zimmer Bradley's sprawling and perennially popular book, whose retelling of the Arthurian legends focused on the role of powerful females, compresses a wealth of mysticism, family intrigue, and bloody swordplay into three hours. While the plot can meander slowly and can sometimes seem, well, mystifying, the work of three notable actresses holds the production together, and the numerous complications do eventually get resolved. As Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, Anjelica Huston endeavors to perpetuate the old religion as pagan Britain comes into contact with Christianity. The scheming Morgause, played to evil perfection by Joan Allen, conspires to her own ends. And Avalon priestess Morgaine, played by Julianna Margulies, travels the heroine's journey, overcoming tragedies, injustice, and all manner of obstacles in her duty to both "the goddess" and her younger brother, King Arthur. Although the action lags at times, the production is quite lavish for a made-for-television feature and the film is ultimately entertaining. --Robert J. McNamara

The King is dead, long live the King, but who will it be? The answer is found on the battlefields and in the mystical and powerful manipulations of fate emanating from the women of the legendary isle of Avalon in this intrigue-filled retelling of the King Arthur/Camelot legend. Starring Julianna Margulies, Anjelica Huston, Joan Allen, Caroline Goodall, Edward Atterton, and Samantha Mathis.

Excalibur

Retelling of the myths of King Arthur, the legendary 5th-6th century monarch, as well as Merlin, Uther Pendragon, the Holy Grail and the Lady of the Lake.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 8-FEB-2005
Media Type: DVD

This lush retelling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a dark and engrossing tale. Director John Boorman (Deliverance) masterfully handles the tale of the mythical sword Excalibur, and its passing from the wizard Merlin to the future king of England. Arthur pulls the famed sword from a stone and is destined to be crowned king. As the king embarks on a passionate love affair with Guenevere, an illegitimate son, and Merlin's designs on power, threaten Arthur's reign. The film is visually stunning and unflinching in its scenes of combat and black magic. Featuring an impressive supporting cast, including early work from the likes of Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne, Excalibur is an adaptation of the legend both faithful and bold. --Robert Lane

Merlin (Special Edition)

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

Dragonslayer

Despite its box-office failure in 1981, Dragonslayer was gradually recognized as one of the finest fantasies to emerge from the post-Star Wars boom in special effects. It's still one of the best adventures of its kind, featuring one of the most fearsome fire-breathing serpents in movie history. Ominously named Vermithrax Pejorative, this ill-tempered monster terrorizes the peasantry of sixth-century England, feeding on maidens sacrificed by a duplicitous king until a sorcerer's apprentice named Galen (Peter MacNicol, long before Ally McBeal) is recruited as a reluctant hero. Aided by a tenacious beauty (Caitlin Clarke) and his resurrected mentor (Ralph Richardson), Galen confronts the soaring beast in a breathtaking climax. Employing a then-innovative technique called Go-Motion to animate the dragon, the special effects are still dazzling, and stunning locations in Scotland and Wales allow director Matthew Robbins (cowriter of Steven Spielberg's feature debut, The Sugarland Express) to maintain a vivid atmosphere for the wealth of movie magic. --Jeff Shannon

Dragonheart - Collector's Edition

In the closing paragraph of his 1996 review of Dragonheart, noted critic Roger Ebert summed up this adventurous fantasy quite nicely: "While no reasonable person over the age of 12 would presumably be able to take it seriously, there is nevertheless a lighthearted joy to it, a cheerfulness, an insouciance, that recalls the days when movies were content to be fun." That's precisely the quality that makes Dragonheart so appealing, despite the fact that it didn't exactly take flight and breathe fire at the box office. The movie takes itself seriously without sacrificing the wit and cleverness that make it so entertaining. It's about the last of the great dragon slayers, Bowen (Dennis Quaid), who teams up with the last of the great dragons, Draco (and voiced by Sean Connery), after they realize that killing each other would put them both out of business! So they devise a bogus dragon-slaying act that's a huge hit as they tour from village to village. Later, they must rouse the peasantry against the loutish Prince Einon (David Thewlis), whose life was once saved by Draco, but who now violates the "Old Code" of honor with a ruthless reign of terror. As Ebert rightly noted, Dragonheart is no masterpiece, and its story (which was originally conceived as a darker, more serious drama) isn't likely to capture everyone's heart (dragon or otherwise). But it's full of exciting action, witty dialogue, and gallant heroism, and in the presentation of a realistic talking dragon it's a milestone in computer-generated special effects, far surpassing the breakthroughs of Jurassic Park three years earlier. --Jeff Shannon.

Sword of the Valiant - The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Miles O Keeffe (Tarzan the Ape Man) and Oscar® winner* Sean Connery (First Knight) lead an impressive cast (Variety) including Peter Cushing Trevor Howard and John Rhys-Davies in this epic tale of swords and sorcery that will transport you and your family into realms of the fantastical and make you believe!Shrouded in magic and veiled in mystery a phantom knight (Connery) thunders into King Arthur s fabled court. Speaking in rhymes and riddles he goads the king s men into taking a dare. And when one of them young and valiant Sir Gawain (O Keefe) bravely stands to defend the king s honor he finds himself a pawn in the phantom knight s game a game that will lead him far beyond the kingdom of Camelot and ultimately take his life if he cannot solve his opponent s riddle!System Requirements: Running Time 102 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: PG UPC: 027616903938 Manufacturer No: 1006191

Fans of Sean Connery who are curious to see him explore roles outside of his usual heroic characters may enjoy his robust turn as the mythic Green Knight in this 1982 British-made fantasy. Based loosely on the classic epic poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," Connery is quite a sight as the glittering green figure, who challenges young Gawain (Miles O'Keefe of Tarzan the Ape Man infamy), a squire in King Arthur's court, to solve his riddle or lose his head. O'Keefe is a stiff Gawain, and the film suffers under its low budget and awkward comic moments, but Connery and the rest of the cast (which includes Trevor Howard as Arthur, John Rhys-Davies, Lila Kedrova, and Peter Cushing) are game and provide sufficient star power to keep fantasy-adventure fans distracted from the film's shortcomings. Writer-director Weeks also directed a version of this story in 1973, with Murray Head of Jesus Christ Superstar fame as Gawain. --Paul Gaita

Dragons - Fire & Ice

Dragons: Fire and Ice is a visually and dramatically impressive animated adventure inspired by a line of Mega-Bloks toys, the same way that Mega-Bloks' rival Lego's Bionicle products yielded the Bionicle: Mask of Light and Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui features. By comparison, Dragons may be the superior entertainment, perhaps no less cluttered in its mythic storytelling than the Bionicle franchise but framed and paced far more like a handsome, live-action movie. Set in a time of legend, the film concerns a shattered truce between two warring kingdoms, Draigar and Norvagen, whose earlier peace was established through the wisdom of dragons. Each side blames the other for the disappearance of those winged creatures, though that tragedy was brought about by a manipulative ambassador. But it is Draigar's prince and Norvagen's princess, unbeknownst to them, who possess special powers granted by the Dragon King to heal the old rift. Above-average family viewing. --Tom Keogh

A Kid in King Arthur's Court

Faith in oneself is crucial but often difficult to develop. Calvin Fuller (Thomas Ian Nicholas), a misfit from the 20th-century "Knights" baseball team, lacks self-confidence. Imagine his alarm when he's sucked into the Middle Ages to answer the wizard Merlin's (Ron Moody) plea for a "Knight" to save King Arthur and Camelot from the scheming Lord Belasco (Art Malik). Intense culture shock befalls all involved as a bewildered Calvin dines on pig snouts and learns to lance while King Arthur (Joss Ackland) and his court members are confounded by 20th-century inventions like rock & roll and roller-blading. Eventually, Calvin's interactions with the king and his court spark a journey of personal growth that leads to love and a newfound confidence that enables him to help King Arthur, Princesses Katey (Paloma Baeza) and Sarah (Kate Winslet), and Camelot as a whole. Will Calvin's confidence accompany him back to the 20th-century? Loosely based on Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Return to those days of old when knights were bold and baseball ruled the land. Baseball? It's Camelot meets the sandlot in Disney's A KID IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT, the hilarious update of Mark Twain's timeless "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court." To 14-year-old little leaguer Calvin Fuller, life is like one big strikeout when he lets his team down. Then an earthquake sends him through a magical time rift, and he finds himself in King Arthur's court. But all is not well with the realm. An aged King Arthur is in danger of losing control to the evil Lord Belasco, and now it's up to Calvin to save the kingdom. But before he can find a way to vanquish Belasco, he must first find a way to conquer his own fears. Now you can own Disney's marvelous mixture of medieval myth and modern mirth that will have the whole family cheering!

Dragonheart - A New Beginning

If you haven't seen the original Dragonheart, never fear--this story doesn't have much to do with it. Geoffrey (Chris Masterson) is a stable boy at a monastery, with dreams of knighthood--dreams that seem out of reach until he discovers a young dragon living in the monastery's dungeon, a scaly but kindly faced fellow named Drake (voiced by Robby Benson). Unfortunately, the king of the realm has fallen under the spell of an evil adviser, who has plans for this dragon. Fortunately, an old Chinese man and his ward--a very attractive girl with a stunning kung-fu kick--have arrived to keep the dragon from harm. The story is straightforward and clearly aimed at a younger audience, with an uncontroversial moral about friendship. The special effects are capable and at times expressive. Dragonheart: A New Beginning is kid-friendly and will probably be kid-appealing. --Bret Fetzer