Now do not be fooled, this has nothing to do with the award winning "Merlin" or "Merlin's apprentice" starring Sam Neill. I was one of the people who fell into this trap. After seeing "Merlin", this is a very disappointing film in comparison. I believed that this would be a comedy version of the wonderful myth behind Merlin. I was attracted to the film as Rik Mayall was cast as Merlin. What a disappointment. I found the film neither funny nor awe-inspiring as the fantastic "Merlin".
*The plot*
Merlin (Rik Mayall) decides to save King Arthur from the wicked sorcerer Mordred (Craig Sheffer) by calling on the power of the Stonehenge to banish Mordred to the netherworld. This causes King Arthur and his knight to fall asleep only to awaken Fifteen hundred years later in a world totally Alien to them (set in modern day). This is when Mordred has escaped from the netherworld and plans to open a dimension gate to rule the earth. Mordred is aided by a power hungry scientist Joan Maxwell (Tia Carrere) who has been experimenting with the magnetic flows of the earth, which is the source of Merlin's power. With the support from a 14-year-old boy Ritchie Gould and a 13-year-old girl Kate, Merlin, Arthur and his knight must fight and defeat Mordred and stop him from his evil plans.
*The cast*
Rik Mayall is neither comical nor magical as Sam Neill's Merlin. He is somewhat disappointing. I was under the impression that Rik may provide a more eccentric version of Merlin (giving his performance in Bottom, Young Ones and Drop Dead Fred), but sadly no. He is just plain annoying and does not look comfortable playing the role. As for the other members of the cast, I felt they lacked the spirit and enchantment for the story. A rather boring performance.
*My opinion*
Utter rubbish. I could just leave it there as it just sums up the film completely, but I feel I should explain. This neither magical, mysterious nor enchanting (compare to Sam Neill's Merlin). The script is just boring. There is no real tension or excitement in this film at all. The battle scenes are unimpressive and rather lack direction. I find this an insult to the myth of Merlin. The special effects are terrible, not sense of enchantment at all. You do not seem to have a connection with the characters, as there is no background setting. You just could not care less what happens. Lets just say I give my copy away to the charity shop (I hope they manage to sell it, then at least some good came out of this film) In summary, avoid this film like the plague, it is not for all you fantasy lovers, like me. If you want to watch a fantastic film about Merlin then I suggest you take a look at Sam Neill's "Merlin" (more enchantment, more spell bounding, better storyline, better everything!) If you wish to know more, I have reviewed both "Merlin" and the sequel "Merlin's apprentice".
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Production Year: 1993 - Family - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Michael Caine, The Muppets, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, David Rudman, Steve Whitmire
Family - Director: Sarah Ball - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Neil Morrissey, Noddy Holder, Alison Steadman, Stephen Tompkinson, Chris Evans, Elton John, Bob The Builder
![Merlin - The Return [DVD] [1999]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/77534176.jpg "Merlin - The Return [DVD] [1999]")
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