Excalibur

PG

Released Apr 10, 1981

1 hr. 59 min.

Adventure

Fantasy

List

72%

94 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The magical sword of Excalibur starts off in the hands of British lord Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne) and then, years later, finds its way to his bastard son, Arthur (Nigel Terry), the knave destined to become king. Aided by the sorcerer Merlin (Nicol Williamson), Arthur fulfills his fate by bringing together the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot and unifying the country. However, this flawed monarch faces greater tests ahead in pursuit of love, the Holy Grail and his nation's survival.

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Critics Consensus

John Boorman's operatic, opulent take on the legend of King Arthur is visually remarkable, and features strong performances from an all-star lineup of British thespians.

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He-Rex

Excalibur is a visually stunning distillation of the Arthurian legend bolstered by the musical genius of Richard Wagner. Fine performances, and a real achievement by director John Boorman.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

Full Review

Tom

Hands down the greatest Arthurian Legend movie ever made, to the exclusion of all others! Breathtaking visuals, first rate acting, and the coolest ass costumes you'll ever see. Boorman is the only one to truly reproduce the "knight in shining armor". And all this set to Richard Wagner's "Sigfrieds Rhine journey" and "Tristan and Isolde". The final scene, with the death of Arthur, is perhaps one of the most emotionally stirring in film history.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/08/24

Full Review

Ted H

Realistic in storyline depth and characters fulfilling their roles. Great directing, and any disjointment may come from editing from an intended length. But length may not always be appreciated by the general public nor film critics. All in all an excellent production that accomplishes the goal.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/24

Full Review

William S

The imagery and sense of fantasy in this movie are great. With that said, it's story is nothing spectacular, and the characters left something to be desired for my personal taste.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/29/23

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Mike P

Excellent sword and sorcery epic; stands tall amongst others of it's type; like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Jack the Giant Killer, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, DragonSlayer and Game of Thrones...and even Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark in terms of actioner epics of that era... (It was an obvious antecedent and prototype for the Game of Thrones books and movies; in particular).... This represents a huge comeback for legendary director John Boorman, who almost ruined his career in 1977 by directing Exorcist 2, which was one of the worst movies ever made.... And then he rebounded with this masterwork!! Great costuming; thrilling photography and cinematography; classic cinema archetypes like Arthur, Gwenevere, Lancelot, Merlin, Mordred and Morganna abounding...(A sexy young Helen Mirren as the mischievous Morganna pretty much steals the movie...Infact she and fellow sorcerer Nicol Williamson should have had their own spinoff series...). Infact all the performances are delicious! Look fast for a young Liam Neason...Overall a classic of it's type from the 80s.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/05/23

Full Review

neil t

A feast for the eyes, John Boorman at his absolute best 👌

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/16/23

Full Review

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John Boorman

Director

Nicol Williamson

Merlin

Nigel Terry

King Arthur

Helen Mirren

Morgana

Nicholas Clay

Lancelot

Cherie Lunghi

Guenevere

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

John Boorman is an intoxicated moviemaker, with a wonderful kind of zeal -- a greed to encompass more and more and more in his pictures... I don’t know-of any other director who puts such a burnish on his obsessions.

Sep 18, 2023

Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

The closer one pays attention to Excalibur, the more frustrating the experience is.

Rated: 2/4

Feb 26, 2023

Full Review

David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

Excalibur is full of visual fustian -- flames in the night, mist rising ominously from the ground, bits of klutzy magic. Yet, despite all the rhetoric, the movie never takes off.

Jun 17, 2022

Full Review

John Brosnan

Starburst

Excalibur is an embarrassment... it’s the banality of much of the dialogue in Excalibur that’s so depressing.

Jul 27, 2022

Full Review

Phil Edwards

Starburst

Excalibur can be regarded as a personal epic, a humanizing of mythological figures and on this level the film works superbly, aided by some remarkable performances.

Jul 27, 2022

Full Review

Jean-Philippe Domecq

Positif

Although Boorman was not afraid of weighty images, none of his excesses is really excessive. His images reveal an aesthetic of the supernatural that is necessary to the story of Excalibur.

May 3, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

The magical sword of Excalibur starts off in the hands of British lord Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne) and then, years later, finds its way to his bastard son, Arthur (Nigel Terry), the knave destined to become king. Aided by the sorcerer Merlin (Nicol Williamson), Arthur fulfills his fate by bringing together the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot and unifying the country. However, this flawed monarch faces greater tests ahead in pursuit of love, the Holy Grail and his nation's survival.

Director: John Boorman
Executive Producer: Edgar F. Gross, Robert A. Eisenstein
Screenwriter: Thomas Malory, Rospo Pallenberg, John Boorman
Distributor: Orion Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 10, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009

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