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The Sword In The Stone (45th Anniversary Edition) [DVD] [1963] | ![The Sword In The Stone (45th Anniversary Edition) [DVD] [1963]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EyF4D7a5L._SL160_.jpg) | Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Actors: Karl Swenson, Rickie Sorenson, Vera Vague, Norman Alden, Alan Napier
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm
Category: DVD
List Price: £17.99
Buy New: £6.27
as of 25/11/2009 02:14 GMT details
You Save: £11.72 (65%)
New (28) Used (3) from £5.98
Seller: musicnmedia
Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 494
Format: PAL
Rating: Universal, suitable for all
Region: 2
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 76 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 8717418167684
ASIN: B0017QMXHE
Theatrical Release Date: 1963
Release Date: August 18, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
As far as Disney is concerned, iThe Sword in the Stone/i was a portent of things to come, with slapstick upstaging storytelling, and cultural in-jokes substituting for wonder. Based on TH White's beloved novel iThe Once and Future King/i, this Disney version chronicles King Arthur's boyish adventures. There's much to enjoy here as coach Merlin the magician shows the young Arthur, nicknamed Wart, the skills that will help him become the future ruler of the Britons. The transformation sequences, where the boy is turned into a fish, a bird and a squirrel are vintage Disney. The oft-repeated scene of Merlin battling it out with mean old Madame Mim still is worth a few chuckles, but it underlines the problem with most of the film--most of its scenes are only played for laughs. References by Merlin to television and other items of modern life also mar the generally innocuous landscape. Younger children will like it, while older kids will find it slower compared with recent Disney films. --iKeith Simanton/i
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 11
 A Disney classic, with its own charm October 4, 2008
hippo (Hampshire, England)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This was one of my favourite disney films when I was little and when I saw it on DVD fully restored with pristine picture quality I had to buy it. This may not be on the same terms as Lion King, Bambi, Little Mermaid and other disney classics we all know, in terms of popularity but this film has its own charm to it and is just as good as the others, with its sense of imagination, humour and positive messaging. This is a great film in its own right and for any disney fan or someone looking for a good family film it should be in your DVD collection.
Much better than I once thought July 13, 2008
Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas)
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
br /As other reviewers have duly noted, this film (first released in 1963) is based on the first of four parts of T.H. White's The Once and Future King (1958), focusing on Arthur's birth, childhood, and youth before he became king of England. The film has been reissued as a 45th anniversary edition. It features the well-selected voices of Sebastian Cabot (Sir Ector/Narrator), Karl Swenson (Merlin), Rickie Sorensen (Arthur/"Wart"), Junius Matthews (Archimedes), and Alan Napier (Sir Pelinore). Frankly, I was underwhelmed when I first saw it many years ago and had little patience with the antics. While seeing it again recently, I found the film much more entertaining and frequently charming.
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br /In our family, a film's "acid test" for grandchildren is for them to want to see it again, immediately. After I watched it with several of the younger ones, they requested that but agreed, instead, to check out "Merlin's New Magical Academy Game," passing on the other bonus features. I would not rank The Sword in the Stone among the "classic" animated features produced by Disney (e.g. Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Pinocchio, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and Pixar (e.g. Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and WALL-E) as well as DreamWorks' Antz and Shrek. However, how many animation features do?
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br /Perhaps there are other grandparents and parents who also saw The Sword in the Stone years ago, as did I, and are not inclined to have a copy available for children to see. I urge them to reconsider because it possesses a unique "magic" of its own. I think they will also enjoy the bonus features. Hopefully this reissued version will attract the interest and gain the appreciation the film clearly deserves.
Surprisingly faithful adaption of TH White's fantasy book - now looking even better January 17, 2009
Keith Joseph (West Berkshire, England)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really loved TH White's (1938) book 'The sword in the stone' when I read it at 12 in the 1960's. Actually the Amazon review above is slightly in error 'The once and future king' is the title of the combined tetrology based on the legendary life of King Arthur, where the original 'Sword in the Stone' book was revised and edited (somewhat badly). The Sword in the Stone is therefore the first book in the series and covers Arthur's life as a youth. For the rest of the Arthurian legend you have to read the next three or four books. That is why this Disney film only covers Arthur's boyhood, and finishes with Arthur standing by 'The sword in the stone'. For this reason the book is filled with the hope and trials of youth and is thus far more jolly than most of King Arthur's adult life (at least when viewed from an adults perspective).
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br /This film (and the book) follow Arthur's eventual rise from being second fiddle to his older step-brother Kay, who is clearly dad's favourite - his dad, Sir Hector, even calls Arthur 'the Wart' [as it rhymes with Art from Arthur]. Not that Sir Hector isn't very fond of Arthur, it just reflects Arthur's lowly but highly protected status of being a young boy. It is therefore a coming of age story, and I think any boy from 7 up would strongly identify with the Wart. Soon into the story the magician Merlin arrives and instructs the Wart by using magic to illustrate points, even transforming them both into many things from birds and fish to trees and stones. This is all followed fairly faithfully by the film (although the more mystical tree and stone sequences were sadly cut out). Living his life 'backwards' Merlin naturally has the edge on other mortals when it comes to prophesy, although 'the future' in-jokes in the film do intrude somewhat. The film is also more jocular than the satirical and witty book, ignoring it's portrayal of the grittier realism of medieval life, like the young boy who has his nose bitten off by a man similarly afflicted who he was taunting [remorseful, the man later adopts the lad and they become firm friends, completing the moral message]. TH White manages to merge aspects of the twentieth century seamlessly into the tale, just as the Mallory's 'Morte de Arthur' originally combined the Saxon descriptions of the great warrior King Arthur with 'modern' medieval concepts like chivalry and knighthood [to create the Arthurian legend we now know]. In many respects the clearly Roman educated and Christian Arthur has been confused by the pagan Saxons with Jesus, hence 'The once and future king' aspects of the legend.
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br /In the film, the battle with the witch (Madam Mim) who the Wart encounters in the forest, is far more central to the plot, and Disney can't resist adding the odd, rather good, song sequence, e.g. "Higitus Figitus". The uplifting end (removing Excalibur from the stone) is naturally retained, finishing the story on a high note with the 'Wart' triumphant. This was the 18th Disney animated film, from 1963, and the film has been fully restored for DVD with 5.1 sound added. The film is 1.33:1 on the TV, not widescreen as shown in many cinemas at the time of release. This actually is the fully restored size, as Disney animators created the master such that it could be shown widescreen with the top and bottom cropped without losing anything important - and it could also be shown complete on a standard TV as Disney intended. So 1.33:1 is the correct original format. Picture quality is noticeably better than my old `standard' Disney DVD, but that older title still looked pretty good [and may be on offer very cheaply now]. Also included in this new 45th Anniversary DVD are two good cartoon shorts "Knight for a Day" and "Brave Little Tailor". In addition there's a featurette with the Sherman Brothers discussing performing two songs that were cut from the movie. Plus there's a song selection option, a fun trivia game entitled "Merlin's Magical Academy Game", a clip of Walt Disney performing magic tricks and the standard "making of" documentary [and the usual few minutes of annoying adverts for other Disney DVDs]. So all in all, a highly recommended medieval based 'fantasy' cartoon film for pre-teen boys. If you like this film, do get the original book - it's an easy read for 10 and over.
Camelot April 24, 2009
M. G. Hatfield (North Wales UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the legend King Arthur and how T.H.White said he took the throne of England Wart who is the young king working as a servant in a old falling apart castle in the middle of a forest.
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br /Arthur is look when falls through the thatched roof of one af the most famous wizards ever known.
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br /Merlin attempts to teach Wart through a series of magical changes which keep landing him hot water and danger.
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br /This is Disney's 18th Classic which is now celabarting it's 45th year this Disney Classic in full of magic fun and song two of the best loved song writers Disney ever employed The Sherman Brothers who famous worked on classics like Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book (Classic Number 19)which is just over 40 years old.
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br /Disney's Sword in the Stone is great telling of the story Disney has put thier brand of magic into this title, which makes the title truly magical.
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br /This Disney's has everything that makes a Disney Classic great storytelling, great music to sing along with, and great animation which less on no computer graphics the remastering may be done by computer but the all of the images were hand drawn originally.
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br /If you want to see Disney's films from the company's founder (Mr Walt Disney) day you can go far wrong with these early classics.
amazing January 6, 2009
Ms. AA Davies
i lv this film i used to sit down infront on the tv watchin this amazin aminated film when i was 3 years old i hv enjoyed the anticts and journey through the film its truely fastastic!!!! i am nw 19 n still lv it !!!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 11
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