Excalibur

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Excalibur

PG

1981

1h 59m

Adventure

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

95 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

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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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

09/18/2023

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.

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David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

06/17/2022

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.

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David Robinson

The Times (UK)

01/03/2022

Boorman reveals a wonderfully individual gift for embodying the mystical and the magical.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Jul 20

5/5

…John Boorman’s Excalibur isn’t about evoking any kind of reality, it’s about strange magic, and that seeps through every sensational frame of this ambitious, mythic movie…using minimal effects and maximum real locations really makes this film sing…

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jun 2

3.5/4

It vigorously punches across the gritty battles, operatic tragedies, and mischievous magic that combined form the crux of the tale.

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

02/26/2023

2/4

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

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Corey J.

@coreyj182 Jan 16

WTF did I just watch?

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Daniel

@Saywhatnow Jan 13

This was a comedy.... right? It's so amateur in every way. Some of it was on the creepy side. I watched it all the way through and I was wide eyed the whole time because the timing was horrible on every moment. It just felt awkward the entire film.

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Alec B

@Alec97 Jan 10

Boorman's psychedelic vision of the King Arthur story remains unique and timeless. The movie understands that we're not dealing with modern psychology, this is the realm of the mythic.

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Antonio V.

@Tone1212 Dec 27

A great film ' fantasy ' love ' betrayal ' magic 'a great cast '

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TI H

@MeInCharacter Dec 13

I love the late 70s / early 80s era of sci-fi and fantasy. You can complain about a lot this timespan has to offer (e.g., the silver armor), but books and movies like Excalibur really sang with character, and I actually appreciate the silver armor, aesthetically speaking. I don't even mind the jarring time shifts. I think this film is a good encapsulation of the Arthurian myth. I'm not saying best. I'm saying good.

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Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies Nov 19

I can watch this epic over and over again for it’s scrumptious cinematography, epic battles and the amazing Nicol Williamson as Merlin and Helen Mirren as Morgana.

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John Boorman

Director

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Nigel Terry

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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
Producer: John Boorman
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
Runtime: 1h 59m

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