Pinfeathers
A couple of week’s back, I wrote a column entitled Don’t Call ‘em Kids Movies!!!, in which I basically took film critics to task for automatically categorizing all feature-length, animated films as children’s fare. They most certainly are not, and to prove my point I cited the brilliant artwork and sophisticated storytelling of such recent animated hits as Kung Fu Panda, Ratatouille, and The Incredibles.
I laid the blame for this common misconception on the vast wasteland of children’s TV and the abundant cartoon fare of limited animation shows from the 1960s. I gave Disney animation a pass, pointing out that several of its films from the ‘40s were definitely intended for broader audiences.
Before making that assertion, I should have waited for my DVD copy of The Sword in the Stone 45th Anniversary Special Edition to arrive.
Image copyright© Disney. All rights reserved.
The Sword in the Stone is the first Disney animated feature film to have a single director, Wolfgang [Woolie] Reitherman. Bill Peet crafted the story based on the first of two versions of the book The Sword in the Stone, by T. H. White.
While Peet and Reitherman preserved the essence of White’s book, the resulting adaptation turns out to be little more than a precursor to after-school TV specials. The film is little more than a series of vignettes based on the magical adventures of a young boy named Wart with the legendary wizard, Merlin.
The interaction between Wart and Merlin is so cool and detached that we’re hardly surprised when Wart’s reaction to the stress of discovering he’s the rightful king of England—go ahead, tell me you didn’t already know that—is to run away rather than seek out the return and counsel of his old mentor.
On his way to the throne, Wart really doesn’t have any major obstacles to overcome, aside from the tedium of being ward to the oafish Sir Ector and would-be squire to Ector’s brutishly dull son Kay. It’s only after Merlin comes into the boy’s life that he faces the challenges brought on by being turned into a fish, a squirrel, and a sparrow. Additionally, each transition comes with its own self-contained, neat, tidy little life lesson.
Rickie Sorenson (Wart/Arthur) must have been aging rapidly while Sword in the Stone was in production. Throughout the film, Wart’s voice dramatically shifts from that of a boy to a teenager, often within the space of a single scene. Veteran character actor Karl Swenson does an excellent job of evoking all of the fussiness and comedy to be found in Merlin’s animated persona.
The artwork in the film is excellent and a pleasure to watch. The color is rich and vivid; however, the print used for this DVD edition has not been digitally restored and several scenes suffer from an abundance of specs and visual noise drifting upward on the screen. Odd considering Walt Disney Home Entertainment refers to this as a “Special Edition” release.
Image copyright© Disney. All rights reserved.
The Sword in the Stone marks the screen debut of songs by the Sherman brothers, Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, in a Disney film. The two brothers discuss their experience composing tunes for the film in a brief featurette included in this single-disc release’s Bonus Features.
Other bonus features include two Disney animated shorts: A Knight for a Day, starring Goofy and The Brave Little Tailor, with Mickey Mouse.
The Sword in the Stone 45th Anniversary Special Edition
Now Available
Film: C
Bonus Features: C -
Buy or Rent: Not a worthy edition for high-end collectors; however, it will complete your digital Disney animation collection. Not a likely Platinum, Blu-ray Disc candidate.
Suggested retail price: DVD—U.S. $29.99, Canada $36.99
Feature run time: 79 Minutes combined
Rated: “G” (Bonus material not rated.)
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Sound: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
Languages: English, Spanish, French Language Tracks and Subtitles
Image copyright© Disney. All rights reserved.
