| THE SWORD IN THE STONE |
 1963 - USADirector: Wolfgang Reitherman
- Reviewed by Jennifer
Wart is an earnest young man who's full of potential, but he began his life as an orphan and has always been treated as such by his foster father. He's the one who always gets stuck with the chores, and it seems that the most he can hope for in life is to be a knight's scribe. All of this changes when he meets up with Merlin, a wise but rather scatter-brained magician with a heart of gold. He takes Wart under his wing and tries to show the boy that an education is the key to success. The two have a series of goofy adventures together, most of which entail Merlin turning them both into a fish or a squirrel or a bird to learn some lesson. Eventually Merlin and Wart have a falling out over Wart's future. Merlin believes the boy should continue his education, but Wart feels he must do the sensible thing and serve as a scribe to the dim-witted Sir Kay. As it turns out, they're both right. In a desperate last-minute attempt to find a sword for Sir Kay, Wart makes a grab for The Sword in the Stone. It slides out easily, and proves that regardless of his station, this intelligent, kind-hearted boy was destined to be King of England. It's a nice story with a positive message, but there's far too much filler along the way. How many times can we watch a boy and a magician turn into forest creatures and sing a song before we start shifting in our seats? I'm guessing that number goes down in direct proportion to one's age. Save this one for the kiddies, then delve into the extras if you're looking for some good old-fashioned Disney fun. DVD NOTESLike all the great Anniversary Editions Disney has been releasing recently, the 45th Anniversary Edition of The Sword in the Stone is packed with extras. Walt Disney himself teaches us "All About Magic" in a vintage black and white short that includes a chat with the Magic Mirror from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. There is a Sword in the Stone scrapbook as well as a section of film facts, and there are plenty of features to keep the kids busy. There are games and activities for the little ones, and if they like, they can skip straight to the songs in "Music and More". Best of all, the DVD includes the bonus shorts "A Knight for a Day" starring Goofy, and "The Brave Little Tailor". Remember the time Mickey Mouse said he killed seven in one blow, and he meant flies, but the townspeople thought he meant giants? That fabulous little gem is all yours, and it's just about the best thing on this disc if you ask me |
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No matter how many times I watch The Sword in the Stone, I can never remember what the heck it's about. I mean, I realize that eventually a kid is going to pull a sword out of a stone, but I always forget that this is the story of King Arthur and how he took the throne. If you can just keep this in mind as you muddle your way through all the silliness, you'll probably have a much easier time paying attention. I suspect The Sword in the Stone is funny and appealing when you're a tiny little kid, but it doesn't hold up quite as well for adults.
