A Disappointing Continuation

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Dark, gritty retelling of the King Arthur legend. Not the innocent romantic version everyone is used to, this is complete with blood, gore and magic.Solid plot, great direction. Decent enough performances from the main actors - Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay and Nicol Williamson. Also includes early-career performances from Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart and Ciaran Hinds.

This is the best overall movie about the Arthurian legends(that isn't a musical or comedy), it covers almost every aspect and does it in style. It looks and sounds glorious and doesn't hold back on violence or sexual themes. Epic fantasy in it's truest form!

This film is one of the best examples of visual mythic storytelling I've ever had the pleasure of watching, and the film has been with me since I was in school. It was required viewing in English Literature for me and, other than maybe Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings saga, represents the best sword and sorcery epic on the big screen. The colors, the armor, the characters, the setting, the over-the-top dialogue and the music, OH the MUSIC, all combine to form an absolute cinematic and artistic treat that perhaps will never quite find a peer.This film, of course, was made after attempts to make The Lord of the Rings failed, and therefore seems to pave the way, quite elegantly for future epic films, decades ahead of it's time. It helped launch several actors into "household name" status. If you want a real treat, watch the film without seeing the cast list and be surprised every time a superstar appears! Treat yourself. Watch this film. Let it grow on you. Let it become part of who you are.You'll be a better person for it, and, I promise, you'll be humming "O Fortuna" for the rest of your life, every time you wish to feel like the Once and Future King, clad in shining armor, ready to save the day!

Owning this movie for years and years, I've finally gotten around to gushing about it here. There's a Shakespearean quality to Early 80's gem "Excalibur" thanks to high quality stage actors recruited and selected by director John Boorman. The script is wonderfully introspective and philosophical. While these are noteworthy, perhaps best of all is the magnanimous score mixed with Oscar-winning Cinematography - unforgettably powerful, strange, and enchanting - all that you could want in a fantasy movie experience. The movie is full of lust and energy. Nicol Williamson, as Merlin, turns in one of the best performances in any fantasy movie with marvelous curiosity and wit. Nigel Terry as Arthur is also excellent, melancholy and earnest, as is Gabriel Byrnes, angry and battle-hardened earlier. A younger Helen Mirren is brooding and enchanting as well. Boorman deserves much credit and praise. He's captured medieval and magic better than movies decades after it. His cast is unparalleled in performance. 9/10 - highly recommended