The Sword in the Stone is the 1963 film based on book one of T.H. White's The Once and Future King. Here, "Wart" (above) is tutored by the wizard Merlin (below) while living in a castle with Sir Ector and his son, Kay. Wart gets his education in a most unique way: he's turned into a series of animals (fish, squirrel, bird) to learn life lessons through different eyes. When not learning, he leads a Cinderella-like life (being effectively a mistreated servant in the home), until one day destiny calls and he draws the sword from the stone, signifying that he, Arthur, is to be king of England.
I just finished the book (which was delightful); the movie fell far short. The significant plot changes added nothing of interest and in fact diminished the tale considerably. The characters disappointed as well. Gone (or stripped of their interest) where characters like King Pellinore and the Questing Beast; in their place were the odd "Madam Mim" and love-struck squirrels. Arthur, here, was slightly more humble and noble than as presented in the novel; Sir Ector, Kay, Merlin, and Archimedes (Merlin's talking owl) were meaner or angrier. It was less amusing, less profound, and less interesting than the novel. The short run time (80 minutes) was both too short and way too long. This one can be skipped. Read the book.
Rating: C+
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