Excalibur [Blu-ray] Reviews

The Feature: 4/5

John Boorman's "Excalibur" puts to screen the legendary tale of King Arthur as told in Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur." Playing the mythic characters are Nigel Terry as Arthur, Nicol Williamson as Merlin, Cherie Lunghi as Guinevere, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, and Helen Mirren as Arthur's half-sister Morgana. Fans of the Arthurian legend will no doubt enjoy the entirety of film as it brings to life the story's major components with impressive production design and fantastically ethereal cinematography. However the first act is a little difficult to sit through for everyone else, being a fine example of why some have no patience for the fantasy genre. Terry plays an older and more experienced Arthur better than he does a bumbling youth, and the whimsical tone emphasizing the boy's innocence ultimately comes off as nonsensical. The one consolation is that the scenes showing Arthur's birth and boyhood don't take up a lot of the film. When we eventually move on to Arthur's befriending of Lancelot, his creation of the Round Table, and Morgana's ultimate power grab, the movie finds a consistency and direction previously lacking, which in turn makes it more universally appealing. Those who have no interest in a sword and sorcery epic will of course find nothing of interest, but notwithstanding the early scenes, "Excalibur" is a respectable big screen adaptation of the Arthurian legend and one worth watching for anyone with even a faint interest in the story.

Video Quality: 3.5/5

Audio Quality: 3/5
Dialogue in the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is consistently clear and intelligible, if often a bit rough around the edges. Sound effects can also have the same problem, along with being noticeably dated in quality. Surrounds never seem to engage, with all the activity originating from the front sound stage. There are some occasional localization of voices, but otherwise the mix sticks to vocals in the center and the score in the front left/right channels. LFE doesn't make an appearance until well into the film, but is fairly impressive since I wasn't expecting any activity of the kind. While certainly not a great track, it gets the job done with minimal offenses.

Special Features: 2/5

Commentary by John Boorman: Boorman occasionally lapses into scene description and periods of silence, but otherwise he provides a candid commentary about the film's challenges and goals, with some interesting anecdotes about working with the various actors.

Theatrical Trailer (2:27, SD)

Recap
The Feature: 4/5
Video Quality: 3.5/5
Audio Quality: 3/5
Special Features: 2/5
Overall Score (not an average): 3.5/5

Warner Home Video turns in a decent presentation of a big screen adaptation of the Arthurian legend as told by Thomas Malory. Extras are limited to just a commentary and trailer, but it's not surprising given the age of the film and the title's overall marketability. Previous editions - including a DVD in 2001 and an HD-DVD in 2007 -  also didn't offer anything different. Coupled with the middle-of-the road quality of the presentation, the film's appearance on Blu-ray will only appeal to those who don't have the title in any high definition format or ardent fans who are looking to upgrade from DVD.