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The Sword In The Stone
45th Anniversary Edition
Studio: Disney
Year: 1963
US Rating: G - General Audiences
Film Length: 79 Mins
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 or 1.75:1 (depending on who you feel is correct)
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1,
Subtitles: Optional Spanish and French
US Release Date: June 10, 2008
The Film - :star::star::star:
“Whoso Pulleth Out This Sword Of This Stone And Anvil, Is Rightwise King Of England”
Dipping into the earlier offerings of Disney’s great animated tales, the more it is like looking at the rich core of a galaxy, shining with a greater concentration of stars, a bright and wondrous period in their history when Walt Disney himself was still alive. The recent past have surely provided magnificent achievements, with The Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King standing out like newly birthed suns, but when you take a trip through the seventies, the sixties and the fifties, oh! what gems can be found. And so it is with a little surprise then to find a star that shines just a little less brightly with this 1963 tale of the unassuming young boy who would, through adventure and misadventure, become the ruler of an entire country.
Another of England’s great tales gets the magical Disney here in the family entertainment giant’s eighteenth animated film. The last released while Walt Disney himself was still alive, it tells a simple and playful tale of King Arthur’s legend by showing us Arthur as a scrawny young boy, poorly treated by his adopted father and brother, who refer to him unflatteringly as ‘wart’. Young Arthur’s life is forever changed when the good wizard Merlin, foreseeing a meeting with a young lad destined for greatness, decides to teach him lessons. Merlin’s cantankerous and timid owl, Archimedes finds himself watching on through the film, trying to stay out of the way but not always succeeding. This all taking place in an England that is without a sitting monarch; since the death of the king, the next ruler of all the land would be chosen by whoever could pull the great sword from the stone. Many have tried, none have succeeded.
The Sword in the Stone is both delightful and a little disappointing. While the innocence and playfulness is quintessential fairytale essence, the story is finds itself a little listless, meandering in the second act, almost distracted by its own fun. This is a flaw that is all the more troublesome given the wealth of enchanting and rich wonder that is the Arthurian legend. The animation at times is just delightful. A fervent and excited imagination is at play as Merlin teaches the young Arthur lessons of life by changing them both into fish and squirrels and the like. In these different forms, they face exciting challenges and species unique escapades. Thus, the film becomes a series of mini-adventures in this way, and not connected in a strong enough way to the overall tale unfolding.
It remains a warmly entertaining piece, with truly delightful musical numbers, particularly Merlin’s ‘Higitus Figitus’. The strength of A Sword In The Stone comes directly from its simplicity and whimsical fancy, rolling comfortably between plot sidesteps, like rest stops on a short highway, before running headlong into the pieces of story that bridge the introduction of the clumsy young Arthur and the happenstance turn that will crown him king. But, perhaps by not using the Arthurian legend as a driving force in the film but rather a clothesline on which the film is hung, the overall experience is robbed a little of something more meaningful?
Remembering that this is now a 45 year old film, the cleverness of the animation at times is quite something. Creating little effects such as the characters reflections in the stream (just before they transform and dive in for a swim) and how the ‘battle of the transformations’ sequence plays out as Merlin spars with Mad Madam Mim during the Wizard’s duel. These moments are a great to watch and marvel at the ingenuity.
In the end, I would say that The Sword In The Stone succeeds for younger audiences and less so for the family at large. It will undoubtedly bring about warm memories in those who enjoyed the film from their youth, but by and large, less of an entertainment success than others in the large catalogue of great animated tales within Disney’s impressive library.
The Video - :star::star::star:
Walt Disney brings 1963’s The Sword In The Stone to home video as a special edition for the first time. Presented with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, (which may or may not be its original aspect ratio, depending on which information source best convinces you) - it delivers a bounty of fine colors and deep blacks in the shadows.
Blues are especially vibrant and, despite some dust and debris popping up on occasion, the transfer is very clean. This is a fine quality video for what is essentially a tier two Disney release. The film is broken into 17 chapters.
The Sound - :star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star:
This 45th Anniversary Edition of The Sword In The Stone comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound option but doesn’t really live up to that name. As with the last Disney release from their vaults (The Aristocats), the sound of the dialogue is clean and the musical numbers sound spotless but there is little depth or surround effect going on in the mix. The lyrics singing out from the center channel is very good, but the lack of any real activity anywhere other than the front channels mean the film exists only there. A good, clean and appropriate audio for this film and its original mono track but, given it is labeled as a 5.1 track, it fails to deliver.
The Extra's - :star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star:
Music & More
Music Magic: The Sherman Bros. - (7:59) – The Sherman Brothers discuss creating the songs for The Sword In The Stone, their first full animated feature. We get a look at a couple of unused songs, ‘Blue Oak Tree’ & ‘The Magic Key’.
Disney Song Selection - With this feature you can jump to any of the films musical numbers, which are:
‘The Legend of the Sword in the Stone’
‘Higitus Figitus’
‘That’s What Makes The World Go Round’
‘A Most Befuddling Thing’
You can also play these selections with the lyrics on screen for some sing-along fun.
Games and Activities
Merlin’s Magical Academy – Answer questions in a number of categories.
Backstage Disney
All About Magic (excerpt) - (7:19) – Walt Disney hosts a playful peak at some magic tricks. .
The Sword In The Stone Scrapbook – Many drawings can be found here in this image gallery with multiple pictures per page that you can see full screen by selecting them. The pages also contain notes.
Film Facts – Eight slides with information.
Bonus Shorts
A Knight For A Day - (7:06> - A Goofy adventure filled with his ever-entertaining form of accidental fun and malarkey.
The Brave Little Tailor - (9:016> - A Gulliver-esque little gem featuring Mickey Mouse – superb.
Sneak Peak - Sneak peaks for plenty of Disney movies.
Final Thoughts
Simplicity, some clever animation and a slew of great musical numbers are to be found in this Disney tale 45 years since its release. With the voice talents of Karl Swensen as Merlin, Junius Matthews as Archimedes and Rickie Sorensen as young Arthur, The Sword In The Stone will not excite but should delight.
The inclusion of two great shorts, one featuring Goofy and another with Mickey Mouse may be draw enough by themselves!
Overall Score - :star::star::star:
Neil Middlemiss
Kernersville, NC
