Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15492 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-06-03
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dubbed, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, English, Norwegian
• Dubbed in: Danish, Norwegian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 76 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
As far as Disney is concerned, The Sword in the Stone 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 The Once and Future King, 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. --Keith Simanton, Amazon.com

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:
Sing-a-longs.
Short cartoon with Mickey and Goofy.
"Sword in the Stone" Scrapbook.
Music Magic featurette.

Synopsis
This classic Disney feature, based on the children's book by T.H. White, tells the story of Wart, a young boy in medieval England who runs into the eccentric wizard Merlin. The sorcerer decides to give the boy an education, and in the process the two have a series of magical adventures.

Customer Reviews

Disney Masterpiece.
This has got to be my favourite Disney film of all time! It's got it all. Comedy, adventure, magic and fun. Excellent story and animation, people of all ages will enjoy it. If you enjoyed this film i also recommend Robin Hood and Sleeping Beauty.

Surprisingly faithful adaption of TH White's fantasy book
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).

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' [a curruption of Art, short for 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 8 up would strongly identify with the Wart. Soon into the story the magician Merlin arrives and instructs the Wart 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, he later adopts the boy]. 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.

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. 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. Also included are: a short cartoon, a 'sword in the stone' scrapbook & two fun sing-a-longs of the films songs, plus a Music Magic Featurette [and the usual few minutes of annoying adverts for other Disney DVDs]. 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. 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.

A Masterpiece
When i was growing up, the sword and the stone was my favourite disney film. The combination of music and laughter made it superb. although people may say it wasnt a classic, in my eyes it was.