The Sword in the Stone - Nostalgia Critic
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- Опубліковано 10 січ 2023
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Nostalgia Critic has had some interesting thoughts about The Sword in the Stone over the years. Some good, some bad, somehow though, it still stays with him. He takes a look at why that is.
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The Sword in the Stone is a 1963 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The 18th Disney animated feature film, it is based on the novel of the same name by T. H. White, first published in 1938 and then revised and republished in 1958 as the first book of White's Arthurian tetralogy The Once and Future King. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, the film features the voices of Rickie Sorensen, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews, Sebastian Cabot, Norman Alden, and Martha Wentworth. It was the last animated film from Walt Disney Productions to be released in Walt Disney's lifetime.
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Thoughts on The Sword in the Stone? Love it? Like it? Never seen it?
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Still an absolute Disney classic
Review
Dark City
Stargate
The Dragonslayer
The Mummy 3
Predator Month
Akira
A old Disney Classic to Review huh Critic ? Come on you try to pull a Sword in the Stone at Disney World when you on vacation it's not that hard to pull
Never saw it. But I should check it out this year since it’s Disney’s 100th anniversary this year.
Never saw it, I only heard the song called “Mad Madam Mim.” And thats it.
Merlin’s last line of “They might even make a motion picture about you.” is a perfect meta joke because it’s completely in character for him having visited the future.
"One day you'll be a waifu"
Not so much visited as lived there. One version of the lore has it that Merlin was born in the future and aged backwards in time.
Another has it that he's half-incubus.
@@bar1scorpio I was just going off of the movie, but that’s interesting info as well.
@@HerculePyro I understood that reference
@@MediaLover194 Fun Fact: This film was a big inspiration for the show (Chowder)
Squirrel scene to me says two things
"Love can be wonderful but it also can be used, even accidentally, to devastate"
"Trying to be anything but what you actually are will be revealed leading to bad results"
Doesn't these things come back to bite Arthur in the actual legend? Like with Guinevere and Mordred. I guess some of Merlin's lessons didn't stick.
@Raylan Givens To build on this... the "looseness" of Arthurian Legend is because it's changed hands so often; It was likely originally a tale regarding some now unknown pantheon, rewritten by/for the missionaries. After that, you have some horny French dude that added Lancelot and the damnedable adultery that followed. It's impossible to find the true "source material", because whatever it was has been purposefully removed and replaced with fanfiction across the globe.
@@raylangivens7151 I believe in the same battle notes that state Arthur - Mordred does exist too atleast in that sense but never is even akin to Arthur.
So you legit can do whatever with em lol I mean if ya really wanted too.
I love that this is the top comment by the way.
Arthur has been changed into a squirrel something he isn’t and is pursued my a real squirrel that finds out Arther isn’t who She thought he was.
Or to put it more simply.
Arther looks like something he isn’t and a Girl falls in love with him and then finds out he isn’t what she thought he represented, love, friendship, partnership, etc.
That is a heartbreaking situation we have all experienced one way or another.
That’s Art! So tragically beautiful!
This got sad pretty fast for that poor female squirrel I feel sorry for her as a kid 😥 16:06
This movie, like most Disney movies, is based on a book. Specifically, it’s based on the first part of “The Once and Future King” by T. H. White, a collection of shorter novels that retell the Arthurian legend with a mixture of reverence and irreverence. In the book, Merlin had a very neat affliction: he experiences time in reverse. So this means when someone meets him for the first time, he cries bitter tears because it’ll be his last time ever seeing them; likewise, he’s happy to meet someone for the first time during a heartfelt goodbye.
Also, she's cut from many versions for some reason, but Madam Mim has an amazing sign on her door. "Madame Mim, B.A. (Dom-Daniel) Pianoforte, Needlework, Necromancy" The book is, of course, set over a thousand years before the piano was even invented, and going by the general tone of the book, that's entirely intentional.
That sounds like a gimmick used by Eureka Seven Ao! So it was used many times earlier in books like this.
That must have been something to write for, a character that experiences time in reverse. You always have to think about their perspective in a completely opposite way than we usually do naturally.
@@RyoHazuki224 Makes me think of River Song from Doctor Who.
@@RyoHazuki224 There's a book series called the Incarnations of Immortality, by the amazing Piers Anthony. Each book deals with an incarnation of life, usually a human having to take up "the job" after centuries. So there's Death's first days in the position. Mother Nature I believe is eternal. But Time experiences everything backwards and that's how the plot is set up. It's a bit mind bending to read. I can't imagine having written the whole book like that.
"Kay! Bow down to your king!"
Favorite line from the movie. How Kay's reaction goes from surprise to disdain and finally remorse.
I felt like their relationship was oversimplified and ill-served. In the book, Kay first claimed to have pulled the sword. But then, immediately upon returning to the stone, he confessed: "I lied. I didn't pull the sword, he did"--knowing that this meant he would not be king, knowing he was giving that away. His love for his foster brother overcame his ambition and greed, which was truly a fine moment for him.
Remorse?
More like resentment and bitterness.
"Give the boy a chance" is mine
The squirrel segment is still so heartbreaking to this day 😢
It hurts so much
I would have stuck around to tap dat..... Um, wait sorry. I didn't mean that. Yikes... Bye!
same 💔
Omg I thought I was the only one who thought the same thing
He was a boy
She was a squirrel
Can I make it any more obvious?
The squirrel section always fascinated me too. I was struck by something you said, “I thought I would understand it better when I was older… and I don’t.” I think that’s what’s is so enchanting about it. There’s nothing more to understand, it’s just a completely pure example of romance, like a child might understand.
The girl squirrel doesn’t need a reason to like Arthur. He’s a him, she’s a her, so they’re meant to be together, and she jumps into it with her whole self. She doesn’t register Arthur’s rejection of her, or why. It’s irrelevant. So irrelevant as to leave no possibility of rejection. That’s not how it works, so everything he does is just him playing love games. Honestly, I and more people than you’d realize rooted for her in a weird way. We know it can’t happen, and that it doesn’t make sense, but we admire the purity and wholehearted way the female squirrel pursues Arthur.
There’s no malice, or selfishness at play, just a joyful realization of her life’s purpose. Therefore, when she loses Arthur, she’s heartbroken. She simply can’t understand why he’s human all of a sudden, though she understands that the human boy in front of her is Arthur. It’s like she was following a well known path, and it just all of a sudden disappeared, or became something else. She’s trying to pick up the trail again, but none of the landmarks are the same, and she can’t understand why, only mourn what she can’t find any more.
Heartbreaking, just heartbreaking...
“The girl squirrel doesn’t need a reason to like Arthur”
I think you described the instinct to mate. The female squirrel is acting on instinct: find a male, mate, and raise their offspring. Although Arthur is a squirrel, he retains the mind of a human and doesn’t possess these instincts. Love is far more complex in humans than squirrels. When Arthur transforms into a human, the squirrel can’t fully understand what happened because it’s beyond her limited comprehension. However, it’s not beyond Arthur’s who tries to explain it but no matter how hard he tries, the squirrel will never understand.
Arthur will know the harsh feeling of rejection when Gweneviere enters in life
I remember years ago (like 15 years ago) I read a fanfic, pretty sure it was on DeviantArt, about this specific scene/part of the movie. It went into a What If scenario of what if Arthur also developed feelings for the girl squirrel and decided to stay as a squirrel to be with her. It was weird and short, but also kind of sweet in that it ended the movie there with a happy ending for the squirrel. I believe that the author of the fanfic went into detail of an epilogue for the squirrel, but can't remember much more.
You'd be surprised the amount of AU fanfiction where they end up together. Bless... :,)
Archimedes laughing hysterical was the best scene.
"Man will fly someday! Like a rock!"
I remember watching this with my late Mum, some years back when it was on television and she laughed at that scene along with me. I still to this day get a kick out of it.
@@robertmcelwaine7024 aww, your mom sounds like she was a cool lady. Good sense of humor
@@BurnDoubt Yeah, she just passed away last year and I miss her, but it's memories like that which still bring a smile to my face. She was a lovely woman, and the best mother I could have ever had.
It always just made me angry as a little boy. I knew Merlin was right, so why didn’t he just take Archimedes into the future and show him?!
That squirrel sequence was the first thing that showed me the depth of love. I was too young to fully understand it then, but I realize now how much that female squirrel says without speaking a word. You can see the euphoria you experience when you fall in love, and the soul crushing feeling of losing love, all through her observation of Arthur (as a squirrel and the human).
I mean sure in actuallity she act's on instincts and you can't call it love in the same way humans feel it, but I think her reaction to it all is captured in a very human way.
I've always felt this scene deep down in my soul, it always makes me emotional.
This scene Always made sense to me, the lesson of gravity would be boring in itself having another predator would bring nothing new yet having a life lesson about love and glorifying it is touching and welcome.
I could totally understand the character and him trying to handle an embarassing situation while being a nice boy but the situation still being dramatic in the end
It was like watching the exciting beginning of a relationship immediately followed by heartbreak in fast forward
I still laugh as much as I did when I was a kid at the wizard duel. What I noticed and loved as an adult is that all of Merlin’s transformations and moves are defensive, focusing more on avoiding damage, while Mim goes for predators and monsters. What a great scene.
I always say Rule 5, she cheats, LOL! 🤣🤣
He had the advantage of 20th century knowledge about germs
I never noticed that before!
It was Dumbledore vs Voldemort before Dumbledore vs Voldemort.
Am I the only one who's ever noticed that Merlin becomes a mouse TWICE? I always thought that was strange, even if the rules never specified an animal could only be used once. Come to think of it, it's strange that they kept changing at all. Mim was doing pretty well as the crocodile, fox, and tiger.
I just have to say Arthur really can stand up for himself and is not one of these Disney characters that goes in the back and cries for the rest of the movie.
Yes. The best part is when he stands up for Merlin - who is pretty much his only friend - and lashes out at Sir Ector and Sir Kay when they call Merlin a devil.
Yeah, Ector breaks his heart by taking away his squire position, but Merlin also breaks his heart by not supporting him when he finally feels he succeeded and he defends himself with both (I especially love that moment where it sounds like Arthur's about to cry, "What do you want me to be?! I'm Nobody!" and then, he instantly backtracks and defends himself; shockingly subtle acting)
Even more realistic, he is crying WHILE he stands up for himself...so his tears are tears of anger instead of feeling sad. He is feeling intense emotion but he still speaks his mind to these adults. It's kinda awesome.
Yeah thats a really nice aspect of the character
@@SukiNoKoe Ive only seen it in a few "Arthurs" but I always like it when he isnt even king yet but still stands up for folk even if he may not fully know them.
I feel like the squirrel ending is pretty straightforward.
It serves two purposes.
From the perspective of the squirrel its the gravity of falling in love with someone you can never have.
From the perspective of Young Arthur its the gravity of rejecting someone who truly loves you.
In Arthurs life he becomes the squirrel when he has to face that his wife has been cheating on him with his best knight.
He has gone from literally being the squirrel to figuratively being the squirrel.
He ultimately experiences both sides this way, rejecting someone and ultimately being rejected.
The Xerox era of Disney animated films always hold a place in my heart. Sword in the Stone, 101 Dalmatians, Robin Hood, The Aristocats. They're all some of my absolute favorites.
The Jungle Book
The Black Cauldron?
@@davidcabanas9121 Meh, that movie's pretty dumb, but it's not awful.
Probably because they were from a time when Disney was less a corporation and more a glorified family business.
Yeah, that era of Disney gives me a lot of nostalgia too. Even though it was reaching times when the studio had it’s ups-and-downs, the somewhat sketchy style stood out for me.
And it was fun to me as a kid to see if I could recognize which scenes were recycled.
Another Fun Fact about this magical film is: Although Walt Disney never knew it, he himself was character designer Bill Peet's model for Merlin. Peet saw them both as argumentative, cantankerous, but playful and very intelligent. Peet also gave Merlin Walt's nose. This was the second instance in which Walt unknowingly served as model for a wizard, the first being the wizard Yensid from the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Fantasia (1940). This explains why the character was given the name Yensid. This read backwards is Disney.
Didn't he only get a name when they made Kingdom Hearts?
@@TheGuardDuck I'm sure he had the name, just that no one said it
I remember the scene where Merlin exposes Madame Mim as a communist.
@@TheMellowFilmmaker Merlin's head is still frozen.
@@TheGuardDuck I think they mention the Wizard's name in the introduction before the animation in the movie. But even if not, he definitely was named before Kingdom Hearts. It's like Chernabog (the devil in Fantasia), like many of us just didn't know the names until wikipedia cuz only those who were in the know knew. LOL
The line of "Just because you can't understand something, doesn't mean it is is wrong", has influenced me my whole life about people and life's situations. I am proud to have thought my daughter that concept as well.
Sword in the Stone always illustrated to me the importance of "show, don't tell" and how much more effective it is to teach kids through personal immersion and unique experience rather than sitting in a classroom every day.
Of course, almost no government school utilizes this method.
@@bar1scorpio Because in quantity of students and practicality it's very difficult, but in a perfect world, personalized education would be ideal
Love this movie. The song in the pond still pops into my head to this day. "Dont just wait and leave to fate and say that's how my life should be. It's up to you how far you'll go. If you don't try, you'll never know."
"Nothing ventured nothing gained." Words to live by for sure!
As a six year old I hated the scene when he made the squirrel cry. Still haunts me 40 years later.
I feel you,, man.
I wish my kids would have this sort of relationship with media later in life.
This, and that one in The Brave Little Toaster where the poor yellow flower dies from grief after losing what it thought was another flower (its reflection in the toaster). That type of loss scene is always hard to watch.
For me that moment is the shoe in Who Framed Rodger Rabbit, little guy didn't deserve to go out like that.
The result of watching too many damn mice and chipmunks cartoons when we were kids.
Martha Wentworth was also the VA for the older female squirrel, and the Nanny in 101 Dalmations. I adore her laughter. I think her voice acting is some of the best I've heard. When the puppies are taken in 101 Dalmations it is her voice that always gets me.
The mama squirrel's "language" always made me laugh. I would transcribe what little of it I could make out as "oh-yoo-doo-dee-doo-dah." And while I had even more trouble understanding what the girl squirrel was "saying," in my imagination it almost sounds like cutesy, pseudo-Japanese nonsense words like "chiku," as if she were a Pokemon.
*WHHHAAAAAATTTT?!?!* That was Nanny from "101 Dalmatians?!"
@@xgray2012 yes, and I believe two of the cows in the barn scene, but it might only be one.
This movie always felt at home on Disney channel. It feels like a series of segments; like you’re watching a Disney special and Ludwig von Drake is going to pop in every ten minutes to intro the next scene.
And teach Donald Duck how to play three cushion billiards
To be fair, so is the original novel.
IM PROFESSOR LUDVIG VON DRAAAYKE!!!
ahh, that brings back bleedin memories, doll XD
I can't even remember anything except the JOY that I got watching what was basically "Beakman's World, DUCK EDITION"
I appreciate Disney retellings for Sword in the stone, Robin Hood and Jungle book for being the "laid back" Disney gems. Like you said every other Disney movie has a lesson or some grand adventure and while I love those stories as well, sometimes just having a chill time with characters is nice enough.
I’ve always had a soft spot for this movie. Mostly because Merlin & Archimedes are so damn funny. It’s a Disney film my mom and so watched together a lot
Fun Fact: In the Squirrel scene, Merlin transforms himself into a gray squirrel, while Wart turns into a red. In reality, gray squirrels were imported into England (from their native north America) no sooner than 1870s, after which they gradually dominated all of the forests and made the red squirrel almost extinct on the British Islands. The story, however, takes place apparently during the Middle Ages, long before that time. It might be a deliberate feature in the movie, as Merlin is capable of seeing deep in the future.
Throughout the movie, Merlin is casually anachronistic. It was built on the same thing happening in the book where Merlin ages backwards, remembers the future and waits for the past
He ages backwards, so he greets your yesterday as his tomorrow.
Just like Conker's Bad Fur Day.
Just like European and African Swallows?
Or like Canada and Japanese Beetles.
The sugar pot, the fat squirrel, beard trapped in the door and Archimedes still make me laugh to this Day 🤣
Same. 😂
Beard caught in the door still kills me every single time.
Madam Mim too ! 😂😂
There now you see! Even that can get you!
When! When! Blast it all *WHEN* !
Archimedes' minute-long laugh will never stop being funny.
I think the art style is part of the charm in this movie. Fantasy settings lend themselves well to animation that feels (in this case literally) painted. A remastered version of this would just feel like it took away the timeless appeal of the sword in the stone
That little squirrel made me cry every time I watched this movie, and she still randomly invades my thoughts. I can forget everything else but not the brokenhearted squirrel that makes me cry.
I watched The Sword and the Stone again a few months ago with a friend, who didn't know the film, and we laughed a lot, and had a really good time. And I realised I hadn't laughed that much about a modern film for a long time! They are all so serious or cynical and the jokes are just there to lighten up a heavy or violent story. And Sword in the Stone, it was just pure fun. I miss that kind of fun in many modern movies.
15:40 the way I've looked at it always is that love is either a slow poison or a cure to everything. You can't always get what you want and need and you have to come to terms with accepting it.
"The Sword In The Stone"...another absolute animated Disney classic, it's one of my all time favorites of their original films! especially because it's one of the many that Floyd Norman worked on when he was a Disney animator they all did an amazing job of bringing this masterpieces to life and the fact that it's based on a classic tale makes it even more amazing!!!
This is definitely an underrated classic. 😊
Am I the only one who really doesn't get why everybody is praising it, I mean sure it's whimsical and all, but I honestly watched it as a kid and I barely remember anything other than the last fight
No hate to the people who like it
@@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375It’s a decent film
@@chasehedges6775 I ain't saying otherwise but people are praising it like it's a timeless masterpiece like Lion King when it's fine at best
@@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375 👍
That’s fair
This was some of NC's best work. A legit, thoughtful exploration of an often overlooked film that also connects with him. No zany nonsense (as entertaining as that often is), just a really strong analysis that made me think about this film in a different manner. Well done!
One tidbit I enjoyed from the packing song was how Merlin continues to speak in verse while telling off the sugar bowl when it starts beating up the teapot.
“See here sugar boy you’re getting rough, that poor old tea set is cracked enough!”
Love the dedication
I genuinely love this movie, any time King Arthur is brought up this is the first thing I think of. Also I never thought of it before, but I think Merlin was my introduction to wizards as well.
This is the most under appreciated animated Disney movie during the 1960s, I’ve considered Disney’s Merlin to be the inspiration for Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter and other wizards!
Maybe he inspired my portrayal of Kamek in my Koopalings fanfics.
@@nuclearcatbaby1131 Kamek was sort of inspired by Merlin and also Kiki the witch from Kiki’s Delivery Service!
@@KingExalted I’m talking about Merlin, not the Gigi the cat, that has nothing to do with wizard professors.
well not for Gandalf since Lord of the Rings was written from 1937 to 1946
@@MrChickennugget360 Gandalf from Lord of the Rings was way before Disney’s adaptation of sword of the stone! Critic sometimes gets things wrong in his videos!
That scary fish is a pike. Legit remember that guy giving me the creeps when I was little. Practically a mini shark yet bigger than a piranha. Honestly scared me more than the evil queen in "Snow White".
Also love the wizards duel so much. So hilarious and love the different animals they become.
yesss the wizard duel is the best scene in the movie honestly
I actually thought it was a barracuda.
@@DavidRay39 Barracudas are tropical fish though.
Still scared of pikes today, partially due to this movie.
@@salexo9 "Where did you get the barracuda?"
"We found it."
"Found it? In Mercia? The barracuda's tropical!"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this is a temperate zone!"
10:26 Fun fact: In the book this movie is somewhat based on, "The Once and Future King", each animal transformation was meant for Arthur to learn different takes of "society" based on animal biomes from animals that could talk to him through magic, and for the fish lesson, the pike was the talking animal that he learned from.
BTTF !! There always seemed a little Marty and the Doc from BTTF about this - especially owing to Merlin leaving to make way for him to forget his older brothers sword so to pull out the enchanted sword from the stone - to replace it. Merlin, like the Doc seemed not to want to meddle with timelines. Afterall, Merlin did say he'd been to the future!
Three reasons I love Wednesdays:
1) New Nostalgia Critic Episodes
2) New Nostalgia Critic Episodes
3) New Nostalgia Critic Episodes
...What was the 2nd one again?
I honestly never caught on that they come out on Wednesdays 😂. I never pay attention to the day, I just click and watch lol
One of the only reasons I still go online. In all the politics and negativity, NC is this warm ray of nostalgia sunshine, talking about the media we thought people forgot about.
Thursday for us Finns.
@@JarethTheGoblinKingForever Amen!!!
This is one of those Disney movies that I watch at least once a year and not just as background noise.
Always feel very sad for the female squirrel that fell in love with Arthur because she just sounded so heartbroken.
I also liked that Arthur didn't have to get revenge on his father and brother even though they were not always kind to him. Him becoming king, and them knowing that he had the ability to get revenge on them was punishment enough.
But most importantly, I wish I could magically do all of the dishes in my kitchen and pack my suitcase when I go on trips.
15:49 Too bad Wart didn’t say thank you to that poor squirrel for saving him from that hungry wolf.😢
Merlin leaving impacted me as a kid as well and I think it's because he's the only adult in the movie who feels safe and helpful, so having him gone feels pretty difficult to deal with as a kid.
11:11 - Screw the monster fish, THAT is downright terrifying O _ o
Honestly this is a lowkey movie that deserves more praise than it's been given. It's not forgotten since Merlin is a recurring character in the Kingdom Hearts games but even on its own merits the movie does have value even when it's not immediately clear what that is. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether it's intentional or not but when you have attention to details like Merlin only transforming into animals with primarily defensive or evasive abilities and Madame Mim transforming into predator animals, I like to think its depth is fully on purpose and does so in a not particularly bombastic or climactic way like most movies.
Yes! It’s a masterpiece
I can't say for in the US or even currently in Norway but when I was reading Donald duck comicbooks in the 90s and 00s madam mim was a reoccurring character. Mostly in scrooge stories if I remember right.. But just to say the characters have popped up outside the movie and games to keep them alive.. Im sure merlin is there as well
Yeah I liked the Kingdom Hearts joke he put in there I wasn't expecting him to reference a game but he is more known for Kingdom Hearts nowadays than the movie he came from. I watched this movie a lot as a kid and there's things I like about it and stuff I didn't like as much.
@@BlueAmpharos Fun Fact: This film was a big inspiration for the show (Chowder)
I love how Archimedes’ design changes slightly throughout the movie, he lets go of his pessimism and starts wanting to genuinely help.
15:18
I remember this part almost made me cry when I was a kid.
🥺
…keyword being “almost”!
🧐
I was saving my tears for Michael Caine’s Scrooge and his duet with his lost love.
😢
This movie is an absolute Disney classic
You sure bout that?
Definitely a classic!
lol stop over using that word man. . .an absolute classic? . . its either classic or it isn't. . .
@@Poever Fun Fact: Disney originally was to make an animated film called Chanticleer, a roster who thinks he can make the Sun rise. However due to financial problems, Disney had to chose between Chanticleer or Sword in the Stone. You can tell which one won!
Yeah it was back when Walt Disney was still alive
FUN FACT: This is James Rolfe´s favorite Disney movie.
NEEEEERD!
Well The More You Know
@@loganmosher5935 🌈⭐🦚
Really? I thought it would be film involving mummies or vampires or something.
@@loganmosher5935 and Knowing is half the battle.
21:04 Little did he know that the stick was "The Bone of Scone" from Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw.
I think your right. Many movies feel desperate to grab the audience's attention, but Sword in the Stone is confident enough in itself they don't resort to that. It's refreshing.
After adopting my oldest, the scene where Arthur reaches for the sword is incredibly touching.
What Could Have Been:
The Wizard's Duel in the film, judging by concept art, was going to be very similar to the original book, ending with Mim turning into an Aulay (a giant equestrian beast with an elephant's trunk) just before Merlin turns into the germ. Other elements for the Duel, also included Merlin transforming into a dog to bite Mim when she was a tiger and Merlin and Mim transforming into a frog and stork, respectively.
As shown on the Blu-Ray special features and on Disney+, an alternate version of the intro shows that Merlin has Merlin Sickness like in the book. He and Archimedes live together so that they can document all the knowledge in the world due to the aforementioned "sickness". Mim was also to have a more prominent role in the story, as an Expy of Morgan le Fay, with her servant being the Black Knight. Arthur's venture into Merlin's hut was due to Mim's interference with his archery lesson with Kay.
What Merlin Sickness?
@@jordanhunter3375 I think Johnny Sparkle is referring to Merlin aging backwards.
I love this film. The hilarious slapstick, the witty dialogue. The quiet moments with the squirrel. The moment of resentment on Kay's face before he let's his hate go and bows to his King. It's a laid back tale full of gems.
@Cerulean Walker He may have bowed, but he hasn’t let go of his hate.
@@Rgoid Fun Fact: This film was a big inspiration for the show (Chowder)
This movie is such a rollercoaster of emotions. You pass from hilarious scenes to heartbreaking ones in a matter of seconds.
I really liked this movie as a kid. The family would get together and watch it on a fairly regular basis. I'll admit it's not the most exciting movie I've every watched, but I just enjoyed the world they lived in, and the characters. There's a surprising amount of emotion and growth shown in the animation, and even after 20 or so years, I remembered the change of expression in Kay's face when he realized Arthur truly was king, and how he realized Arthur was due some respect. Favorite scene was the scene where the turn into fish. I enjoyed fishing as a kid and exploring rivers and ponds, so seeing a pond from the perspective of a fish was cool.
Whenever i saw that squirrel bit, i kept thinking "couldn't Merlin turn her into a human or something?" Kept thinking that was going to play a part closer to the end or some such.
I mean if he can Time Travel, pretty sure he can literally accomplish anything.
Pretty sure Arthur would have been better off with the squirrel than with Guinevere
I read a book in middle school about this same premise where Arthur is turned into a bunch of animals like the fish we see here as well as a snake. Then near the end when he is trying to pull out the sword, all the animals he's been are featured on a stone carving nearby and give him encouragement, like all the lessons he's learned came together for this moment in his life.
Thank you for doing this one. The Sword in the Stone is my favorite animated Disney film. I even named my first pet kitten Merlin for this Merlin. He died last year at 14. Watching this makes me want to adopt a new kitten and name it Archimedes. 🥰
An iconic Disney movie that sadly doesn’t get talked about as much as the other Disney greats.
Love how this movie tries to teach things as well as bring adventure. And the squirrel scene is truly funny and……weirdly emotional.
"oh I believe it may be the most powerful force in the world"
some of Merlins wisdom has stuck with me through the years, even if the last time I saw this film was on VHS back during the dawn of the DVD.
I will never take "love" lightly...and I also believe it to be a powerful influence, for good or bad.
Love like the squirrel, pure and innocent, and never regret...though you may mourn.
I used to take care of dogs and cats being boarded. There was one cat who pretty much shut down (presumably because she wasn’t with her owners). She didn’t eat or use the litter box for two days. I decided to try interacting with her. Once she warmed up to me, the first time I got to pet her, she started eating! That’s when I realized just how powerful love really is. It made me think of when Merlin said that love might be the most powerful force.
Being a 90s kid this was my first intro to Arthur and merlin, and I'm glad it was, even tho I haven't watched it for many years it still has space in my brain for how it was and it being a decent kids film.
Funny. I was also a 90s kid, but my first experience with Arthurian myth was Excalibur. _"Come father, let us embrace at last."_ My parents were either really cool, or really irresponsible.
@@Bulls3ye86 I think that was my second or third interation of Arthur, the Excalibur movie, and don't know, parents were much stranger back then so either or on the good or bad bit
This movie hits twice: once when you're a kid and can see yourself as Arthur, and again when you reach the point you can see yourself as Merlin.
... If you knew some kid you were talking to would grow up to have sway over the fate of millions, what would you tell them?
I remember crying when the girl squirrel had her heart broken.... it was a very real moment in my childhood. @15:30
The Other Darrin: There were no fewer than three different voice actors for Arthur. And it's very noticeable. Rickie Sorensen was originally cast as Arthur/Wart, however the long production schedule of an animated film meant that he aged up too much and his voice had clearly changed by the time he recorded his lines. With a tight budget and unable to pay for a new voice actor, director Wolfgang Reitherman cast his sons Richard and Robert Reitherman in the role, and while they sound very similar: young, squeaky, and a lot like Mowgli or Christopher Robin (who were both voiced by their brother, Bruce Reitherman), the voice of 17-year-old Rickie Sorensen is obviously the voice of a teenager who's gone through puberty. The decision of keeping voice clips from all three actors in the film, sometimes even in the same scene, causes some jarring viewing experience as Wart goes from a teenager's voice to a squeaky child's from one line to the next.
I mean... yes, but at the same time... it also kind of works for the character? He's at the age where voice fluctuations... happen. It helps sell the sense that yes, this is a kid, going through an awkward transitional period where he doesn't really know who or what he is.
I guess I'm used to it because technology of the time meant a lot of recycled audio clips (see also: the Wilhelm scream). Like in A Christmas Story, every single kid who sees Santa makes the exact same scream when they go down the slide. So when Arthur makes the exact same "Whu-whi-WHOA" every time he falls down, I just think there they go again. And when his voice changes I just assumed that was the best they could manage with a child actor
@@TheSchaef47 this....
heck, somehow even after all these years, this is actually the first time I realized the awkwardness of his voice fluctuating...
until it was specifically pointed out to me, I didn't notice it.
what is it called...the thing that helps Clark Kent hide... "observer bias" ???
@@Firehawk376 I always thought it made perfect sense for the character, and i think a lot of the fussing about it has to do with people showing off their insider knowledge about it.
20:05 notice how Merlin made a furnace out of armor ;)
My favorite thing about Ector apologizing to Arthur is that it's not only the first time he calls him Arthur in the movie, but he immediately jumps to calling him 'son'. He now realizes just how unfairly treated the boy was over being an orphan and now he sees what potential the boy had that he missed.
Most people would think he was pathetic or slimy for trying to win Arthur's favor the very moment he's declared king, but Arthur's not that kind of person. He begs Ector to stop groveling because regardless of how often he abused his power, Arthur still saw him as a man of authority and had respect for him.
Just goes to show that all those lessons that Arthur was taught have shaped him into the perfect and just king, and this sense of respect and equality would be consistent in his future.
Fun Fact: Walt Disney chooses The Sword and the Stone over Chanticleer, because he had an issue with a rooster being an appealing protagonist. Bill Peet developed a pitch of The Sword all by himself after 101 Dalmatians, while some top artists and animators worked on a Chanticleer pitch.
And we all saw where Rock A Doodle went.
Wonder if the rooster from Robin Hood was how they were going to make Chanticleer look
@@nuclearcatbaby1131 Disney's Robin Hood was originally going to be an adaptation of Reynard the Fox, and when they decided to do an adaptation of Robin Hood instead they kept the fox and other animal designs for all of the characters. In European folklore Chanticleer and Reynard do show up in some stories together. I could easily believe that there could have been some crossover in the planning stages that led to Reynard and Chanticleer becoming Robin Hood and Alan A-Dale. Especially since Reynard and Robin are both clever tricksters and Chanticleer and Alan are both singers.
@@CalliopePony Wait a minute, you're telling me the rooster from Robin Hood had a name this whole time??
@@00ammy00 He introduces himself right after the intro where he was credited as The Rooster. "Oh, incidentally I'm Allan-A-Dale, a minstrel. That's an old folk singer."
Sword in the Stone felt like a fever dream, a movie that you remember watching in your childhood but not actually remembering anything about it
Kinda like Flushed Away from Dreamworks.
I get why one would see it that way, but I've seen this movie so many times, I could almost recite it verbatim today. That VHS tape in the 90s (80s?) got quite a workout!
@@matthewmazzatto8003 Fun Fact: Disney originally was to make an animated film called Chanticleer, a roster who thinks he can make the Sun rise. However due to financial problems, Disney had to chose between Chanticleer or Sword in the Stone. You can tell which one won!
@@orangeslash1667 Isn't that kinda the starting premise of Rock-a-doodle? Lol now that's a fever dream movie lol
@@autobotsrollout1237 Yes, As for Rock-a-Doodle the original idea was to have two story's one is Chanticleers rise to fame and the other is Edmond tying to find him. Due to All Dogs go to Heaven underperforming, GoldCrest forced Don to pick one, so he picked the Edmond plot line. Which is the weaker plot line.
As for the overuse of the narrator, there was a test audience that was confused from the plot, so a narrator was put in to fix it. I guess the test audience were idiots😛😛
This is unapologetic my favorite Disney movie and shaped me to the person I am. I was the weakest kid I my family and friends this film was a soft comfort to me teaching me that I can acquire greatness by studying by doing so sparked my love for learning.
Also Archemedes is my favorite character in this film. Love how natural his transition from despising Arthur to him actually caring about him.
I loved this as a kid and still appreciate it now. I just noticed at the end of the fight between Merlin and Mim there seems to be a musical callback to Sleeping Beauty, specifically the moment when Prince Phillip's sword impales Maleficent as the dragon.
The battle with Merlin and Mad Magical Mim is probably top 3 Disney slapstick moments.
would make a great tattoo
Thank you for taking those few seconds of the mustache wiggle and the beard puffing up like a dandelion. Those are some of my favorite moments on a movie that means so much to me.
My dad always laughed at the wolf trying to eat Arthur, comparing him to Wil E. Coyote. I always loved the part with Madam Mim. This movie was part of my childhood and although I haven't watched it in years I can still remember about 75% of it just off the top of my head. It etched itself in my young heart, and was my introduction to medieval fantasy and Arthurian legend.
Yeah this movie is very Chuck Jones-ish
I watched this movie constantly as a kid! I would watch it over and over, and knew almost every scene by heart. You can imagine my surprise, then, when at the age of twelve I checked out "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White, and quickly realized that it was an adaptation of the first book (in fact, it was originally published separately). Not only do he and Kay feel more like actual brothers, they even have an adventure where they meet none other than Robin Hood (who actually goes by Robin Wood). Merlin in the book knew Arthur was Uther Pendragon's son: he was the one who brought him to Sir Ector to begin with! But the biggest surprise for me was when I started on Book II. The first part did feel more like a young adult novel, but from Book II onward it becomes a very adult book. It's quite something to go from Arthur being crowned king at the end of "The Sword and the Stone," and then open the next book with Morguise boiling puppies alive!
Imagine if Disney adapted all the books. Went from kid Arthur all the way to old man Arthur with Camelot falling around him over the course of four movies. What is today a single underrated classic would be the most ambitious project in the history of animation.
I think everyone grew up with this one, such a classic.
I have always loved Sword in the Stone! It's a relief to know that I'm not the only one who appreciates this classic. Archimedes laughing hysterically at Merlin will never not crack me up.
I’m glad he’s actually doing a nostalgic movie for once
Movies that came out within the last 20 years are nostalgic. The people that were born around the time of NC's first cut-off date (2002) are becoming adults now. It's a matter of perspective.
@@saviitrius That wasn't even my takeaway... I'm SO GLAD this is just a straight review of the movie with none of those stupid ass skits. Doug's reviews are what got me interested in his channel in the first place. While I don't always agree with him, he's an outstanding film critic. The skits always ruin the flow of the review, and mostly aren't even funny.
@@nahor88 I like his reviews either way. I actually think the skits make his videos more entertaining. But I know they're not for everyone, and he knows that too, which is why we still get straight reviews.
@@saviitrius I'd prefer it if they did uploads with no skits, just Doug reviewing the movie. I'm working my way through his POTC reviews, and have to click through the stupid skit portions.
@@nahor88 Yeah but they've been doing skits for years and years. It's become a staple of the channel, so they won't be stopping anytime soon. Sorry bud
The squirrel scene, as I understand it, is explained by Arthur’s response to the girl-squirrel’s heartbreak: “You don’t understand.”
He thinks she’s the one who does not understand but, she understands perfectly. He was a squirrel, now he’s not, and she’s devastated. It’s Arthur, trying to talk her out of sadness, who does not understand.
I adore this film; Disney Legend Floyd Norman shared that they actually based Merlin off of Walt Disney himself; Not just his mannerisms, warmth, and at times his anger , but also quite a few physical features were all captured in this character. Thanks for reviewing this film; happy 2023, gang!
That does done intentionally by Bill Peet, who was often at odds with Walt.
I wish so many people knew about this film because it truly is a magical experience
its very very famous lol
@@gamedrop3262 Your point is....?
@@snowangelnc My point is that his wish is actually reality lol Many many people know about this film.
This movie was a consistent rewatch for me as a kid, and I suppose I never knew why. Merlin's departure left me just as confused, but I think it was necessary for Arthur to grow, finally without an adult figure in his life giving him direction. Like, it was his own choice to grab the sword. I also wanted to transform into animals as a kid, so that helped, too. Great voices, songs I didnt mind listening to again, and hey, that fish was terrifying to boot!!
I look fondly at my childhood with this movie in it, I remember I would request my dad to put it on for me when I was sick
because it wasn’t a grand epic adventure. It was a simple story with life lessons that I could just relax and laugh with when I wasn’t feeling well
Weird foot appears
-What the- oh it's sponsored. *Proceeds to skip the ad until-
13:51 *I love me too*
Okay... That was the weirdest sponsor ad I have seen.
Never skip the sponsorships, you get to see in the weird mind of Doug
@@ChannelAwesome Gotta be honest, the foot got me intrigued.
One of my favorite old school Disney movies.
Merlin and Archimedes are two of my favorite Disney characters.
And can I dare say most underrated soundtrack?
That jazzy dishwashing number still pops in my head every now and then
14:55 Harping? Dude you're spot on, especially with more people noticing the hypocrisy of "sexual assault" with how it's a one way street if you know what I mean.
One thing I always liked was that in the wizards duel, Merlin always used less powerful or lethal while mim uses more brute and powerful animals, Merlin beating her shows how powerful someone can be no matter there size
Fun fact, they were originally gonna do a Chanticleer movie, but chose to do this instead.
17:30 Honestly, whenever I see Archimedes laughs like that, all I can think of is tom hanks laugh in money pit
I remember watching this and Robin Hood a lot as a kid. We had 90's 'modern' films by then, but I somehow was attracted more to old school Disney films.
Merlin was, indeed, my introduction to wizards, and Arthur was my introduction to "being humble even if you're a king".
17:10 As somebody trying to go to college for a field known to be “unsuccessful” this nailed me in my soul.
My Senior Thesis class in College was on Arthurian Britain (Dark Ages Britain after the Romans left) my mom gave me a copy of the movie as a gag gift after finishing the class. I don't think Merlin gets enough appreciation as one of the better Disney old man characters.
Ah, this movie. One of those that just screams nostalgia at you. Remember that time someone figured out that making the squirrel human and setting her up with Arthur would solve literally all the problems that would cause the downfall of Camelot?
"No, on second thoughts, let's not go to Camelot. 'Tis a silly place." -King Arthur
To paraphrase Merlyn in *Camelot,* "One cannot escape fate. Lancelot would only appear as a more attractive squirrel."
This is a childhood favorite of mine, I used to ask my mom to put it on for me all the time back then.
When I was a little kid, I always thought it was Merlin's magic cast from afar helping Arthur pull the sword out. The whole "ordained by god" angle never hit me till I was a teenager.
Archimedes laughing animation was one of my favorite moments in the film. I would always rewind it. To me it's up there with Pinnocino's "Not the Chair!".
My unironic favorite Disney film. Wonderfully made, fun and memorable songs despite the nonsense words, and so rich with, ironically enough, timeless jokes.
Mine too! :D
Seeing movies like this makes me miss 2D handrawn stuff. I'm an artist myself and being one I sort of slow everything down as I'm watching it and really appreciate what the creators put into it. Little details here and there. I'd say I miss those days but Japan is still going strong with its 2D handrawn animation. They're keeping it alive over there.
Companies crank out 3D trash now because it’s cheaper and easier…also lazier and with less lasting impact in the long run. Pfft.
14:46 I saw this movie a lot as a kid and seeing this scene now... me being a furry, and more specifically my tail fetish, might have came much earlier than I thought.
Loved this review, mainly because the heartbroken squirrel is actually the part of the movie i remembered most since i was a kid. Its just a simple depiction of how it feels to be rejected or disappointed when your heart tells you otherwise. Just beautifully done.
16:30 he mopped the floor with him
This was one of my favorite films as a kid. Haven't seen it since I left elementary school, so this episode really hit hard. I can't believe how much of it I still remember, even if I haven't thought about it in forever.