Arthur & Merlin

I saw this rated at 8/10 here earlier and thought wow, low budget movie with a genre that I like, with actors I've never heard of.

I had to see it.

Storyline is OK, as it should be as it is based on an ancient story (Atleast I think it is) Actors are bad, sometimes in a comical way, sometimes just in a bad way.

Merlin as a boy in the beginning gives you a cringe on bad acting, but after that its watchable if you like the genre.

There is no "special effects" other than a fog that rises to cover any need for it.

The two main characters have their moments, thats pretty much all there is in this movie.

The movie looks good and is well acted. A very well known story, but told in a different, long and extended version. Decent effects and score, but at times over the top and lacks any peaks and real lows. Action scenes are decent, but nothing exciting and sometimes shot hand held to make it look more exciting. This movie is good to watch to fill time up, which is just about 2hrs of an ongoing adventure with hills and valleys. No major scenes or plot points to add drama or anticipation to the story. Certain time lapsed scenes remind you of other movies scenes with the same shots and camera shots.

Considering the reviews so far are either 'zeroes or heroes', I thought I'd offer a middle-of-the-road approach.

This movie is by no means horrible. It reminds me of a better than average pilot for a TV series (albeit one made in the 80's), or could even pass as 'part-one' of a mini-series.

The leads are unknown, but solid without being brilliant. David Sterne who plays King Vortigern is a better than average TV actor, and he was very believable. Charlotte Brimble who plays Olwen (the lead female) does a very creditable job, and she didn't have to get her kit off to do that job either!

Special Effects were very, very, simple and wouldn't have over-stretched the budget, eg the occasional fog machine got switched on, but that worked in the movie's favour, as it meant that nothing was done 'badly'. ie there was no need to cringe at poorly constructed monsters.

The Story was also very, very, simple, but that meant that it wasn't as rushed as B-Grade movies can often feel, as they try to pack a script worthy of War and Peace into 90 minutes. The last 12 minutes were 'so-so', as endings go, but once again, 'not horrible'.

In summary, you wouldn't pay to go see it at the movies, but you wouldn't regret watching it, if it turned up on Netflix either.

It's not worth much more than an honest 5, but it's definitely not a 1!

A chosen one bestowed with what seems to be an impossible mission is rich fodder for any storyteller. This fertile premise has proved successful many times over and has stood the test of time with unforgettable protagonists such as Moses, Jesus, Anakin Skywalker, Frodo and Harry Potter coming to mind (quite a mixed bag there). And now Arthur and Merlin can be added to this illustrious list thanks to the imagination of Marco Van Belle, et al., and their fresh re-imaging of the Arthur and Merlin story. Production qualities are up there with 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Game of Thrones,' and what they've achieved for new film- makers is commendable. This is a fantasy feature worth watching for any and all ages.

Bad acting and poor effects but it was free on YouTube so it was ok. I like the theme.