British Actress Blog

Merlin (1998)

Score: 6/10

Director: Steve Barron

Stars: Lena Headey, Helena Bonham Carter, Miranda Richardson , Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Rutger Hauer, Martin Short, Paul Curran.

Synopsis: The legendary wizard Merlin tells his story of his war against Queen Mab and the creation of Camelot.

Review: A young Merlin is being manipulated into doing the bidding of Queen Mab (Miranda Richardson ), an ancient deity. When he resists her commands she strikes at the one he loves the most. As a form of retaliation, he allied himself with King Uther Pendragon as a way of combating her allies.

Lena Headey plays the royal Guinevere very well. This character seems to be a much nicer and younger version of Queen Cersei. Her role in this movie is not big but I prefer Lena Headey to Guinevere from BBC Merlin or Guinevere from Camelot by the STARZ network. Lena Headey plays a much more realistic female character, which is greatly appreciated.

Helena Bonham Carter plays Morgan Le Fey much like Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010). Compared to Katie McGrath's Morgana from BBC Merlin, I would go with Helena Bonham Carter just because she seems a little more certain of her allegiance to the dark side. Comparing Helena Bonham Carter’s Morgan Le Fey to Eva Green’s character of Morgan from Camelot by STARZ, Eva Green wins hands down. She is just too strong of a villainess for anyone to defeat. When Eva Green plays the villain, you tend to route for her. She is very hypnotic and charming.

Paul Curran’s King Arthur is kind of weak. Comparing his Arthur to Jamie Bower from Camelot STARZ and Bradley James from BBC Merlin, I would chose Bradley James because his version is develop more so and he is not so noble that he comes off as unrealistic as a person. Sometimes TV show and movie creators try to make the character Arthur so noble that he is unrelatable and ridiculously naive. The character of King Arthur being so naive is dangerous to the people of England since his world is one of treachery, deceit, and pure evil.

Joseph Fiennes is still my favorite version of Merlin in STARZ Camelot. Colin Morgan is actually good as Merlin in an innocent yet guardian like way in BBC Merlin. Sam Neill’s version of Merlin in this movie is just unconvincing. I like Sam Neill’s work in Jurassic Park (1993), but as an actor, I have never really been a fan of his. He has limited range as an actor. I love it when two of my favorite actresses play in the same movie. Here we have both Helena Bonham Carter and Lena Headey. Basically this was two halves of a TV mini-series at the time of its airing but this movie is being sold as a whole movie on DVD. I think this film being one whole is much better since the story seems to flow better.

The film focuses on the concept of time. Times change, people change, and nothing stays the same. The character of Queen Mab is fighting the inevitable. She wants to live longer and not be forgotten in the sands of time it’s self. Unfortunately for her, the evil deeds she has brought upon others, causes people to want to leave the past behind. As Kylo Ren said in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), “Let the past die, kill it if you have too”. People have this done all throughout history and we still see it happening today. The old gods of the Ancient times have been forgotten and now, the most main stream religions are falling to the waste sides for a more agnostic view.

The cinematography is average for its time and absolutely nothing special. The wardrobe is surprisingly accurate. From the Roman inspired armor to the swords without cross guards, the film depicts the time period “mostly” accurate. Most Arthurian films get this very wrong. Keep in mind that this film is aimed mostly for kids so don’t take it seriously, especially the magic in this film. The set dressing is just OK. The backgrounds are well done most of the time. Nothing beats an organic background, especially in a form of media based on the Arthurian myth. Lighting and props are average. This movie is very entertaining in a light hearted kind of way. If you’re looking for a more serious King Arthur film, look elsewhere, again this is more of a kid’s film. The movie is slightly above average.

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More Films Reviews

Cinderella (2015)

The King’s Speech (2010)

Suffragette (2015)

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

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