The Sword in the Stone

1963 "Tired of living in a Medieval mess... Merlin uses all his magic powers to change a scrawny little boy into a legendary hero!"
7.1| 1h19m| G| en| More Info
Released: 25 December 1963 Released
Producted By: Walt Disney Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.

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Director

Wolfgang Reitherman

Production Companies

Walt Disney Productions

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The Sword in the Stone Audience Reviews

KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.
Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Jesper Brun I say at times, because in my honest opinion, The Sword in the Stone is one of those movies I'm torn about. Merlin and Archimedes are the are the most memorable characters in it. Mad Maddam Mim, too, but she is only in it for a short time. You can definitely see that this movie is from the beginning of the time when Disney started using the xeroxing process to directly transfer their drawings to the cels without much clean-up on the lines creating a sketchy look. That's not a turn-off, cause Robin Hood is one of my favourite Disney movies, but sometimes it is distracting. The light-hearted tone of the movie is really enjoyable, I must admit. We're not put through a lot of peril until the climactic battle between Merlin and Mim, which is the absolute highlight of it. One of the most entertaining climaxes in any Disney movie, hands down. What brings it down as a movie is that it really is the most fragmented in the Disney canon. Every lesson Merlin teaches Ward could without noticing be shown on its own as an educational short. And it feels kind of aimless too. Personally, I couldn't tell what difference there was to Ward after his lessons, he just pulled a sword out of a stone and he is the king. All of this for so little. It just doesn't work as a movie if you ask me. But agian, The Sword in the Stone is a lot of fun and has some great scenes which really show the talented Nine Old Men. Go watch it and judge for yourself.
Realrockerhalloween My favorite version of the legend about a boy destined to be king and meets a man who changes his life forever when he pulls out the sword.It covers his home life as an orphan, his training with Merlin and being crowned. The humor is situation comedy from turning the boy into a fish and nearly getting eaten by sharks or a wild following them keeps getting hurt three stogies style. Archimedes (an owl with a mind of his own) is witty, clever and has courage when it counts for his friends.What makes this a classic is the subtle hints to come with a squirm taking interest in Wart (King Arthur) and he breaks her heart like he will Gweniver someday or when Merlin says Tahiti will be a popular tourist destination in the future.The songs are catchy times that stay in your head for days like this is what makes the world go round and the sword in the stone.The medieval setting seems a little inaccurate since London won't be found for another thousand years or in door plumbing for that matter. The art drawings weren't the best during the crowd scenes and forest scenery like other Disney classics. Its very noticeable at how laughably bad it can get.Still I find the plot, characters and music over comes the flaws.
OllieSuave-007 This is an animated film from the Walt Disney era, one about young Arthur, who aspires to be a knight's squire. However, a powerful but forgetful wizard named Merlin has plans for Arthur to be something beyond a squire.This movie actually starts off with a captivating intro where England is left without a king, and a proclamation has been sent that the one who can pull the sword out of the stone will be made king. It then leads to imaginative and quirky scenes where Merlin demonstrates his magical powers to Arthur while, at the same time, try to get him an education so he could get to places beyond that of being a squire.This film really does not have much of a plot, as most of the movie is about Merlin showing Arthur his magic spells (I thought the squirrel scene took up too much time). However, it's great imaginative fun for the little kids and, probably to the adults' liking, you can get a couple of important messages from the film like getting an education and how complicated love can get.The animation was pretty good, not as vibrant as earlier films or in later films of the 80s and 90s, but it is serviceable. The songs by the Sherman Brothers weren't my favorite to listen to, but they're quite fun and easy to sing along with (again, something good for the kids). Wolfgang Reitherman did a nice job directing, as the characters were memorable and have a nice dose of humor, and his sons, Richard and Robert, did a nice job in voicing Arthur - innocent and carefree, but grounded. Rickie Sorensen also voiced Arthur and also did an equally good job.Overall, it's not one of the best Disney movies I've seen but it does have a certain charm to it that definitely acquires that special "Disney touch." Perhaps that is what separates the more classic Disney movies from the more recent ones - the classics, and some of the ones filmed later in the 1980s and 1990s, have a more whimsical and charming element, while the more recent ones have a more hip and modern Hollywood influence. I myself prefer a Disney film with a more classic feel.Grade B-
Jawbox5 The Sword In The Stone is a personal favourite of all the Disney animated films. It has a number of things that make it feel rather unique including the laid back tone, lack of a true villain and how it mainly teaches lessons about life. It is certainly one of Disney's most interesting and enjoyable films.The plot loosely follows the book of the same name, Arthur (mainly known as Wart)is a boy who aims to be a knight's squire. When out hunting he falls through the roof of Merlin, a brilliant but slightly eccentric wizard and his highly educated owl Archimedes. Merlin knows that Arthur has the potential for brilliance and decides to give him an education so he can achieve anything. Along the way they change into a variety of animals, meet the menacing witch Madam Mim and learn a lot about life. The story does have a very warm and inviting feel to it. It is an intelligent film presented in a fun way which lets you learn as well as be entertained, it doesn't try to tone down smart aspects and that helps it to stand out. The characters are all brilliant which is crucial as it makes the film work. Arthur is a likable, naïve boy who we know will learn from his experiences to become king. However it was distracting how three different people did his voice, which explains why it changes frequently and it can be pretty annoying. Merlin is a wonderful lead for Arthur, his dissatisfaction with the times and frustrations with Arthur are very funny as he's nicely voiced by Karl Swenson. Talking owl Archimedes is brilliant too, his reactions to events and grouchy outbursts are hilarious, and he also offers a good link between Merlin's weirdness and the real world. Mim is great as she offers the closest thing to a villain, making a good impression in her short screen time. The brash Ector and arrogant Kay are great support as Arthur's adoptive family. The animation is stellar as always, the 60s saw some really good looking animation. It is relatively simple, but it does feel very authentic and it fits in perfectly. The views presented of the castle and forests really do bring an authentic as well as nicely atmospheric feel. The film is certainly the most philosophical of all the Disney film which adds to its individuality, it's nice that it focuses on the trials of life rather than jump into all the action which can be a flaw of many Disney films. When the scenes of adventure do come along they are all the more effective. The adventures as fish and squirrels are really enjoyable, filled with excitement and suspense as well as plenty of laughs. The climactic battle between Merlin and Mim is just fantastic, they turn into different animals and duel which leads to some great action and animation. The climax involving Excalibur is also well set up and nicely uplifting. Disney's songs can be a bit boring, but here they are excellent, songs such as "Higitus Figitus" are really catchy and great fun. One of the few complains is the wish for it to have been longer, but given the time it was released it is understandable. One of Disney's stronger and more underrated efforts, it is a brilliantly enjoyable feature.