|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Home | e-Magazine | e-Products | e-Books | Handmade Originals | Licensed Art |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
BBC Series: Merlin
Movie
 Review While the legend of King Arthur and Merlin is folklore, many storytellers refuse to deviate from the legend which means that any new films will essentially be the same. Over time, that gets stale. Merlin, however, dares to take the essence of the folklore and create an entirely new storyline which I found it extremely refreshing and totally geared towards the teens of today. King Uther has forbidden the use of magic after magic causes the death of his beloved wife. Anyone suspected of using magic is instantly imprisoned and upon the King’s command, put to death—without a proper trial. Merlin doesn’t age backwards, but instead ages (or grows up) like a normal human being. After becoming a teenager he leaves his home and moves in with Gaius, a former magician and sorcerer, takes advice from a caged magical Dragon, and works for Prince Arthur as his servant. Merlin has yet to master his skills as a sorcerer and makes a few near costly mistakes—always walking away having learned yet another valuable life lesson. Arthur is not yet king, but under his father’s care is being groomed to take over the kingdom. At first, Arthur blindly follows his father’s laws and never questions whether his father is right or wrong. But upon being challenged by Merlin, Arthur soon discovers that king or not, his father has flaws and his biggest flaw is his inability to see the whole picture. As Arthur tries to find his own destiny he begins to butt heads with his father and at times secretively goes against his father’s wishes to do what he feels is the “right” thing to do. Gwen is the daughter of a single father—a peasant. She is also the maidservant to Morgana and one of Morgana’s truest friends. Upon Merlin’s arrival to the kingdom, Gwen quickly becomes one of his closest and dearest friends and finds it both scary and refreshing to be able to voice her opinions or take a stand. Morgana’s father is killed due to one of the King’s commands and becomes a ward of the King. The king takes her under his wings and raises her as his own daughter, secretively hoping that she and Arthur would one day tie the knot. Throughout the series, several characters from the Arthurian (or Arcadian) folklore appear and it’s up to Arthur and Merlin to save the kingdom. At times, Merlin must use his magic to fight magic and do it in a way that prevents his from being discovered or sentenced to death by the king. The series does have a formula problem in that every episode tends to carry with it a magical situation in which Merlin and/or Arthur must deal with and Uther is always pigheaded, stubborn, and reliable. But since each situation is so vastly different, it keeps the series moving forward. As for the bonuses, I was really impressed with the amount of bonus material included with season one, including the explanation on why the creators took such liberty with the storyline. Your Task Watch Merlin with your kids and test your Arthurian knowledge. Can you tell which storylines are “on the mark” and which storylines have been changed to create a new story? Then discuss with your children the many moral dilemmas in the series. What would you do, in this day and age, if such an event took place? When is it okay to keep secrets? When is it not okay? When should you put your life on the line for someone and when should you seek professional help? Order Merlin  Today!
Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review. About The Author Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer, mixed media artist, and aspiring photographer. She enjoys creating things that bring joy to others. Visit her blog, Coming Home, to check out her latest art. Or stop by her resume site, AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project. Reprint Rights This article may NOT be reprinted without monetary compensation and written permission from the author. For reprint rights or comments/questions about this article, please contact the author. |
We Recommend
Sponsor Ad
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
© The Dabbling Mum ® All rights reserved.
No portion of this web site may be reproduced.
Learn more about Copyright Law, Click Here.