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T5-Comix-Cartoonz — The Sword in the Stone Review

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Published: 2015-04-04 04:45:00 +0000 UTC; Views: 4934; Favourites: 19; Downloads: 0
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Description !!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!

"The Sword in the Stone" is the 18th film in the Disney animated classics collection. Released in 1963, this was the last animated film to be released before Disney's death three years later, and it is also one of the first memorable Disney films featuring songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers who would later go on to write music for future Disney films like "Mary Poppins", "The Jungle Book", and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks". The story of this movie is drawn from the 1938 original publication of T.H. White's novel of the same name, but of course like most Disney films, while it is based on the general plot from the original story much of the substance of the story has been considerably altered.

I can't help but feel like this movie may have set precedents for, or at least, influenced future Disney films; particularly the ones made during the Disney Renaissance. For example, Merlin's sentient furniture and books that appear to have the will to move and act on their own; I feel like this might have been possibly the inspiration for the animate household items in "Beauty and the Beast". I also believe this is perhaps the first major Arthurian legend film adaptation to popularize the fantasy trope that Merlin was an extremely powerful wizard with a vast array of powers ranging from teleportation and transformation to time travel and near-immortality; Because throughout the history of medieval fantasy films, you often see or hear some reference to him; be it that the story directly features or mentions him or features a character that was obviously inspired by the legendary wizard. Even Gandalf from "The Lord of the Rings" series appears to share numerous parallels with Merlin in terms of their respective depictions. Merlin is effectively the Jesus Christ of the "Sword and Sorcery" genre of fantasy, and while the character had already become quite legendary in the many decades preceding this film I can't help but feel like this movie might have sky-rocketed and solidified his popularity in modern pop culture; as Disney has long been a major part of every young child's life in the Western world for almost an entire century. However unlike many adaptations, and most unlike the original novel from which this movie is loosely based, this film dishes out a much more comical portrayal of Merlin by offsetting his great power and wisdom with clownish clumsiness and borderline senility. This movie's clumsy accident-prone omnipotent wizard is effectively Disney's early predecessor to the genie from "Aladdin", who also embodied the comedic irony of great power plagued by even greater ineptitude.

In another comparison to "Aladdin", this movie also features the funniest bird sidekick Disney ever had prior to Iago. The characters are practically mirror images of each other; as both birds are highly intelligent, sarcastic, witty avians with super bitchy personalities; the only real difference being that Iago is considerably more self-centered and generally immoral. Even the relationship between Merlin and Archimedes feels like a more light-hearted version of the one which exists between Jafar and Iago. I refer of course to the way they tend to argue and exchange verbal jabs at one another like an old married couple. In the movie, Archimedes is a highly educated owl who serves as Merlin's familiar. For those who are unfamiliar with that term, a familiar is the servant/companion of a witch or sorcerer. According to most Christian-based myths, familiars were demons who took the form of animals and acted as spies for witches, but in reality they were usually just ordinary animals that accused witches kept as pets. As would become Disney's staple of fantasy, nearly every wizardly character is granted such a familiar and nearly all of them are blessed with anthropomorphic characteristics such as humanlike personalities and the gift of speech. It is no accident that Merlin's owl happens to be named Archimedes, as that is a name shared by an ancient Greek mathematician and scientist considered one of the greatest of classical antiquity. This character or rather a similar such character was present in the original novel, as well as Arthurian legend, but I believe he was given a different name and the level of significance to the plot also varied. In this movie however, I find Archimedes' levelheadedness perfectly contrasts with Merlin's over-enthusiasm, and provides for a charming exchange between the two of them as they bicker over the best way to go about educating young Arthur. It's like listening to two super nerdy professors argue about who's teaching methods are more efficient.

This is also one of the few Disney movies not to have a primary evil antagonist. Yes, I know there's Mad Madam Mim, but she plays such a minor role in this film until she's really more of a temporary obstacle than a major antagonist. In truth, the real conflict present throughout the story is the conflict between enlightenment and ignorance in place of good versus evil. This is a story that emphasizes wisdom and reason over brute force and mindless aggression; as well it also embodies the symbolic theme of purity and generosity being the better way to selfish pettiness, for come the film's finale it was Arthur's pure heart and selflessness that made him worthy to pull the sword from the stone. Where all others sought only to pull the sword for themselves, Arthur did so because his stepbrother, Kay, needed a sword. He was thinking of someone other than himself, and thus his selflessness allowed him to pull Excalibur and become king of all England.

I will say though that despite her brief appearance in this story, within the short allotment of time dedicated to her, Madam Mim does present herself as a formidable foe as well as a memorably endearing character; making it rather sad that she's generally among the most underrated and overlooked of the Disney Rogue Gallery. Her power quite possibly rivals that of Maleficent and Ursula, while her overall personality is as quirky and comedic as Cruella DeVil and the Queen of Hearts. She's so cartoonishly evil though until I can't say how well she'd fair as the main antagonist in a full-length feature film, but it would be interesting to see something more done with this character; even if she just gets a cameo in another Kingdom Hearts-esque Disney crossover...as you can possibly imagine, the wizards' duel between Merlin and Mim is my favorite part of this movie.

It's interesting to think how much perspectives have changed over time. There was once a time where an eccentric old man character like Merlin speaking in riddles and referencing future events to come was considered a staple of wisdom and profound insight, but nowadays we would generally associate those characteristics to a senile old geezer who's gone off his medication. As it happens, this movie also takes the award for surprisingly awkward situations. I'll bet when most of you first watched this you never considered just how incredibly awkward it would be for a young man to meet a strange old man in the woods and then bring him home only for that man to effectively hire himself as the boy's teacher. I mean just think about that in real-world terms. How strange would it be if your son came home with some weird old man who claimed he was your son's new tutor? It speaks to the story's credit that we don't really think too much on this bizarre point, but still after you think about it you'll never be able to look at this movie the same way again. It really is odd to a point of near creepiness.

When it comes to education, Merlin seems to favor a similar approach to Miss Frizzle from "The Magic School Bus"; taking Wart out and allowing him to first-hand explore the world through different perspectives with the help of his magic; although one does have to question the risk factor present in most of these lessons; as nearly every one of these outings puts Wart in direct harm from some kind of unexpected danger, and upon this it seems duly worth noting that no matter how unorthodox a teaching technique may be it matters little if your prospective pupil winds up dead before he can learn whatever lesson you were trying to teach. So while I applaud Merlin for his creative educational strategy, I must also condemn his obvious disregard for the personal safety of his students. I can actually see Merlin being a teacher at Hogwarts, but eventually getting fired because one of his students got eaten by a cat after he turned them all into mice.

As a scholar and practitioner of the Occult Arts myself, I rather love the underlying theme that prevails throughout this movie that magic is not the answer to all life's problems, because as Merlin himself states, "Don't you get any foolish ideas that magic will solve all your problems, because it won't." This is a truth that vibrates on multiple levels; for whether we're talking about fantasy films or real-life religious faiths (Pagan, Christian, or otherwise) spells and prayers seldom make your problems disappear in a puff of colored smoke. In fact, after having studied the Occult and the paranormal for several years I can tell you from personal experience that the best way to use magic is not at all. The effort necessary to make a spell or a prayer come true is very often not worth the energy wasted. Often times in life you're better off taking the direct approach and using your common senses than sitting around waiting for divine intervention. Mind you I'm not saying there's no such thing as magic and miracles, it's just best not to rely on them.

While on the subject of magic and the Occult, You gotta love how Disney movies are never very accurate to the time periods they're set in, because with regards to Merlin in this story; if you were a wizard back in the Dark Ages the last thing you'd want to do is broadcast it. If this story was depicted with more historical accuracy Merlin and his talking owl would have been burned at the stake for consorting with the devil. Of course while the movie doesn't go to that extreme, it does touch upon the rampant superstition and ignorance of the times; such as when they scoff at the notion of Wart being educated or regard Merlin's dish-washing spell as "black magic".

Another rather clever little bit of the story is where they subtly equate love to gravity. The part of the story where Merlin turns himself and Wart into squirrels features a very insightful observation whimsically hidden amidst the dialogue and imagery which references love to being akin to the phenomenon that any two particular bodies, if free to move, will be accelerated toward one another (ie gravity), and I suppose if you think about love and gravity do appear to have that in common, for indeed if two people become strongly attracted to one another, by whatever means that such an attraction occurs, they will be irresistibly drawn to each other regardless of danger or opposition. And by the by, I'm just a little curious to know. I'm surely not the only one who felt a little sorry for the girl squirrel at the end of that scene when her heart gets broken after Wart turns back into a human; am I?

I swear, wolf in this movie must be related to Wile E. Coyote, as he seems to have the same streak of bad luck when it comes to hunting. The hungry wolf who is introduced at the beginning and reappears later during the squirrel outing is presented as a minor antagonist and a bit of comic relief. The wolf isn't really crucial to the progression of the plot at all, and seems to have been added in purely for lols, but his seemingly minor contribution to the story helps make it all the more fun and entertaining, and certainly he wins the movie pity points as it's pretty easy to feel sorry for the poor chump.

It is worth stating that even though the characters and events described in Arthurian legend are largely fiction they are nevertheless loosely based on real people who were supposed to have existed. I do recall reading in my research that King Arthur and Merlin were indeed based on people who did exist, but there are great differences between the real people and the fictional  characters. King Arthur was actually supposed to have been a warlord or something of the like, while Merlin was not a wizard, but a druid. It's funny how historical events and people can become greatly fictionalized over the procession of history. Kind of reminds me of another controversial theological figure who's exploits were likely greatly exaggerated by myth and rumor.
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Comments: 29

WCLyon [2017-11-10 14:07:35 +0000 UTC]

I find this movie to be more of rags to riches Cinderella type of story. An orphaned boy abused by his foster family, has a magical helper/guardian, and becomes royalty in the end.   

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to WCLyon [2017-11-14 01:35:52 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, the "Rags to Riches" storyline is a pretty common trope for most classic Disney features.

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WCLyon In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2017-11-14 12:18:51 +0000 UTC]

Not to mention leaving out the rest the story where Arthur's wife commits adultery and gets killed by his illegitimate son Mordred. 

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to WCLyon [2017-11-14 13:19:37 +0000 UTC]

Well, of course, it's Disney. They've always been pussies when it comes to dark elements like that...just look what they did with "Hercules".

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WCLyon In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2017-11-25 22:05:55 +0000 UTC]

I can't wait for your review on on of the worst movies of the 90s Rensiances

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to WCLyon [2017-11-25 22:57:31 +0000 UTC]

Mythological inaccuracies aside, I didn't necessarily think "Hercules" was too terrible...unlike "Pocahontas" which I illegitimately have a hard time sitting through.

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WCLyon In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2020-04-17 23:59:46 +0000 UTC]

I just hope that Disney announces that they’re doing a live action remakes of Hercules or Pocahontas.

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experimentalDeity [2015-04-05 01:59:26 +0000 UTC]

"if you were a wizard back in the Dark Ages the last thing you'd want to do is broadcast it. If this story was depicted with more historical accuracy Merlin and his talking owl would have been burned at the stake for consorting with the devil."

Kinda why he was living in the woods, only told like four people, one of whom freaked due to the kitchen doing its work alone, and was put in the tower that looked like it would collapse if I poked the right spot. Furthermore, the real Arthur and Merlin lived around the years 475 and 515. Dark Ages was around the 19th century.

"I'm surely not the only one who felt a little sorry for the girl squirrel at the end of that scene when her heart gets broken after Wart turns back into a human; am I?" Some fans theorized that the squirrel was Guinevere.

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to experimentalDeity [2015-04-12 06:04:40 +0000 UTC]

Well, you perhaps have a point there, but still telling even a scarce number of people that you practice sorcery during those times was incredibly risky, because word-of-mouth tends to travel fast, and loose lips get witches burned.

Actually the Dark or "Middle Ages" is generally used to reference the time period between the 5th and 11th centuries. The 19th Century was the 1800s, man. The Dark Ages were long ended by that time (despite people  still being as ignorant and short-sighted as ever).

As for the girl squirrel being Guinevere, I'd love for those fans to explain how the hell she got turned from a squirrel into a human.

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experimentalDeity In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2015-04-12 15:58:01 +0000 UTC]

True. It looked to me like they weren't telling anyone they had a wizard living with them! In fact, aside from yelling at him a bit, they pretty much ignored him.

Ah.

I'm thinking of a five-letter word that starts with M in English.

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Walnut-Sparks In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2015-04-12 11:15:03 +0000 UTC]

Same way Arthur got turned into a squirrel    Guinevere does have enough varied origin stories in the myths (the Triads insist Arthur had THREE wives, all named Gwenhwyfar, at least one of whom was the daughter of a giant) that making up yet another one isn't too out there.

To my mind, the bigger issue is that Guinevere's role in the novel on which the movie was based (and the Vulgate Cycle on which the novel was based), is to cheat on Arthur with Lancelot.  If you're trying to save her from an unhappy ending, you might as well make her another character entirely - which a lot of fans do; that's how "Hazel" came about.

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Walnut-Sparks [2015-04-04 21:28:03 +0000 UTC]

I must say, this is the first I've come across this interpretation of the sword in the stone thematic device.  IIRC within the Disney version it makes sense, but in a larger context it raises the question of whether Arthur's "purity and generosity" or his royal ancestry are more important to making him the legitimate king.  (The circumstances of his drawing the sword are established at least as far back as Le Morte d'Arthur.)

The name of Archimedes is the same in White's novel.  He also soils Merlyn's hat and the whole room he's staying in - good luck getting that into a family movie.

As regards history:  Merlin was actually based on two earlier figures, a legendary bard and seer named Myrddin and a (probably real) Romano-British general named Ambrosius Aurelianus.  Arthur, sadly, is still very much up in the air, but if real he may have been "merely" a general or a sort of voivode.

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LipsterLeo [2015-04-04 16:23:04 +0000 UTC]

The plight of the girl squirrel still breaks my heart. It's my favorite part of one of my favorite movies!

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to LipsterLeo [2015-04-04 22:50:06 +0000 UTC]

Glad to know I'm not the only one.

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VenusMoonstone [2015-04-04 07:46:01 +0000 UTC]

Love that ending  statement, because it applies to every single religion on the face of the earth.
Brilliant analysis as usual.

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to VenusMoonstone [2015-04-04 22:50:29 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. As always I appreciate your support.

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VenusMoonstone In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2015-04-05 12:05:54 +0000 UTC]

I have an intimate question for you. You once mentioned in one of  your deviations' descriptions that you have schizophrenia. I don't judge people on what they are living with , but I just wanted to know: What is like ,to live with schizophrenia?

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to VenusMoonstone [2015-04-14 21:20:37 +0000 UTC]

Well, first of all try to imagine what it's like to never truly be alone; to always feel like there's another presence with you at all times. Then try to imagine what it must feel like to try and live several different lives at once.

There are many times where I find myself thinking thoughts that are not my own, and I know they are not my own because they are completely contrary to my general nature. I frequently find myself engaging in heated arguments with myself and the different sides of my psyche are almost always at odds with each other. The greatest example of this lies with the conflict between me and Douglas.

Douglas is a sexual deviant who's focus centers exclusively around sex. He cannot have a thought which is not sexually perverted in some way. This creates tension as his lust-driven desires often interfere and contradict with my more lofty ambitions. I am obsessed with creating a world of imagination and whimsical wonder while he is solely considered with appeasing his carnal appetite.

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VenusMoonstone In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2015-04-16 10:52:03 +0000 UTC]

....Woah, that sounds....amazing.

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to VenusMoonstone [2015-04-21 08:19:43 +0000 UTC]

It is rather amazing at that, and quite surreal when one really contemplates on it.

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VenusMoonstone In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2015-04-21 19:30:06 +0000 UTC]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Qqij…
I study psychology and I know for a fact that you are living proof that schizophrenia can be a blessing, just like Asperger's.
I watched this short when I was little. This short ,I think, was made to show how beautiful the imaginations and minds of people living with psychosis are, despite the depths of psychosis being haunting and scary at times. 

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to VenusMoonstone [2015-05-24 04:59:20 +0000 UTC]

That was truly a beautiful and inspiring work of art. I thank you greatly for sharing it with me, and I thank more for your heartwarming support of me and my own work.

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VenusMoonstone In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2015-05-24 11:02:08 +0000 UTC]

I love you Big Bro. I truly, truly love you.

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to VenusMoonstone [2015-05-26 03:11:47 +0000 UTC]

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VenusMoonstone In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2015-06-02 14:30:29 +0000 UTC]

I posted a reply to your confession ....was it in any way offensive or did you find it ....entertaining?

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to VenusMoonstone [2015-06-05 23:43:09 +0000 UTC]

No, I didn't find it offensive. It takes quite a bit to really offend me. I found it quite comforting.

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VenusMoonstone In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2015-06-07 18:25:36 +0000 UTC]

Thanks.....did you perhaps in any way read my latest journal and deviations?

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T5-Comix-Cartoonz In reply to VenusMoonstone [2015-06-14 18:31:20 +0000 UTC]

I'll give them a look.

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VenusMoonstone In reply to T5-Comix-Cartoonz [2015-06-15 07:59:51 +0000 UTC]

I'll be extremely grateful if you do

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