The Sword In The Stone

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

The Cartoon

The Sword In The Stone, 1963

The Plot

A young peasant boy named Wart becomes the king of England after befriending Merlin, the Wizard.

Starring

Sebastian Cobot, Carl Swenson, Rickie Sorensen, Junius Matthews, Giny Tyler, and more.

The Review

Legend has it that there once was a sword set into stone so strong that no one could remove it unless his character so willed it—the character of the one to remove the stone must be full of honor, decency, and enough inner strength to choose right over wrong, mankind over greed, and most of all, love. That stone resided in England, under the careful watch of a very powerful wizard named Merlin.

In The Sword In The Stone, Disney brings that legend to life through a small, peasant boy named Wart. Wart had dreams of becoming somebody—of not wasting his days cleaning stables—and he would do whatever was necessary to earn that right. He worked long and hard and always kept a cheerful attitude. Then one day everything changed.

On that day, Wart met a very eccentric wizard, named Merlin, who was determined to change the boy’s life forever. There was just one problem: Merlin seemed to have a knack for getting Wart into all kinds of trouble, including losing his coveted job.

But then it happened, as accidentally as could be, Wart found the infamous Sword in the Stone—only he didn’t know it at the time. When everyone suspected that the sword he held was indeed the infamous sword, they ordered him to replace the sword, immediately. One by one others tried to remove the sword, but it would only release for Wart. And thus, his life as “King Arthur” began.

Disney’s version of the story is a bit far-fetched and as scattered-brained as Merlin, himself. But it’s fun and whimsical and light-hearted enough to entertain even the softest heart of a child.

Your Task

I could tell you to watch the film and then hold a discussion on the ability to overcome any obstacle, about how hard work pays off when you least expect it, and how optimism is far more rewarding and beneficial in the long run than bitterness or talk of things not being fair. But this version is so light and airy and so much fun, that all I really want you to do is laugh and enjoy it with your kids!