Curator Watchlist
The Sword in the Stone
A charming but uneven Disney fantasy: the animation, comic wizardry, and Madame Mim showdown are memorable, but the film is more episodic than propulsive and can feel slack between its best bits.
Curator Watchlist
A charming but uneven Disney fantasy: the animation, comic wizardry, and Madame Mim showdown are memorable, but the film is more episodic than propulsive and can feel slack between its best bits.
Where to watch: Buy
Wed · 1h 19m
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Starring: Sebastian Cabot, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews
Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.
Wolfgang Reitherman
Sebastian Cabot, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews
A charming but uneven Disney fantasy: the animation, comic wizardry, and Madame Mim showdown are memorable, but the film is more episodic than propulsive and can feel slack between its best bits.
The Sword in the Stone is one of Disney’s most relaxed Arthurian tales, built less like a quest than a string of comic lessons, transformations, and oddball detours. That looseness is part of its charm: Merlin’s time-bending eccentricity gives the film a playful, almost improvisational energy, and the animation has a warm, storybook texture that suits the material beautifully.
When it clicks, it really clicks. The Merlin vs. Madame Mim sequence is the movie’s great set piece, a burst of invention that feels far more daring than the surrounding narrative. The film also has a gentle, cozy quality that makes it easy to revisit, especially if you respond to Disney’s early-60s sketchier look and its fondness for side characters and comic business.
Still, the movie’s biggest weakness is structural. Wart’s journey can feel underpowered, and the title promise is delayed so long that the ending lands with more inevitability than excitement. It’s a pleasant, uneven fantasy rather than a classic of momentum, but its best moments are strong enough to justify the trip.
James (Schaffrillas) (2★) · 1701 likes
It should be illegal for a movie about a wizard to be this boring
Sally Jane Black (4★) · 1279 likes
The duel between Merlin and Madame Mim is possibly the best magical duel in all of film.
Louis Peitzman (3.5★) · 854 likes
Girl Squirrel saddest character in the Disney canon.
robyn (5★) · 852 likes
When I was little my dad taped Robin Hood and this off the telly back to back but he ran out of room on the tape so Sword in the Stone finished when Merlin said "blow me to Bermuda!". It's nice to see it all worked out in the end!
Quintin (2★) · 589 likes
The wizard duel between Merlin and Madame Mim was really exciting and the animation was impressive. However, the rest of the film and the story as a whole is pretty horrible. This is the structure:First ten seconds: There is a sword in the stoneThe next hour: Arthur has a shitty lifeLast 30 seconds: Remember that sword we mentioned for ten seconds? Arthur is gonna pull it now. Disney Animation Ranked
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coming of age, education and mentorship, magic and transformation, Arthurian legend, comic fantasy, destiny and leadership, animal transformation, good vs. mischief
animated fantasy, family film, Arthurian legend, coming-of-age, whimsical, episodic storytelling, classic Disney, magic duel, mid-century animation, storybook tone