Rotten
What a wondrous vision Excalibur is! And what a mess.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Excalibur
Forged by a god. Foretold by a wizard. Found by a king.
1981 · 2h 21m · PG
Adventure, Fantasy
Directed by
John Boorman
Overview
A surreal adaptation of Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur" chronicling Arthur Pendragon's conception, his rise to the throne, the search by his Knights of the Round Table for the Holy Grail, and ultimately, his death.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
73%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Exquisite, a near-perfect blend of action, romance, fantasy and philosophy, finely acted and beautifully filmed by director John Boorman and cinematographer Alex Thomson.
Variety Staff, Variety
Rotten
For all its audacity, a misguided folly.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Fresh
Give Boorman credit for the loopy grandeur of his imagery and imaginings, for the sweet smell of excess, for his heroic gamble that a movie can dare to trip over its pretensions -- and still fly.
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
Fresh
There is humor here (in the form of a vaudeville Merlin, played by Nicol Williamson) as well as a diminution of scale that seems intended to help audiences through the thornier byways of Boorman's vision.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
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