Plot: What’s it about?
Arthur is a young man with big dreams, but he is often called Wart and not given much chance to shine. But he sticks to his hopes of becoming a squire someday, no matter what people think and that pushes him ahead toward his goals. He soon meets Merlin, a powerful magician with some memory problems and soon, the two become friends. Merlin sees much potential in young Wart and tries to give him an education, which should allow him to do whatever he wishes. At the same time, a lot of men have traveled to see a sword stuck in a rock, as whomever removes it will be named the next King of England. Although it seems like a simple enough task, the strongest and smartest men in the kingdom have all failed, with no one having any luck in the least. So of course, it seems impossible that young Wart would be able to remove the bewitched blade from that rock, but with Merlin’s help and some courage, you never know what might happen…
This is not often listed with the finest of Disney’s animated films, but I love it and am very pleased it has been issued on our beloved format. I like the storyline and of course, have read umpteen versions of it, but I still like the twists and visuals found in Disney’s The Sword In The Stone. I won’t claim this to be the best adaptation of the excellent tale, but it is fun to watch and offers some great moments, which is enough for me in this case. Perhaps I just like most things medieval and magical, but I never tire of Wart and his hilarious adventures in this flick. The animation is good for the time period it was made in, but of course, can’t measure up to more modern Disney works. I do think the film suffers from some flaws, such as the lack of a powerful adversary for Wart and Merlin, but I can’t help but have a good time whenever I watch this one. This disc offers restored video, a new surround sound mix, and some cool extras to boot, what more could you ask for?
Video: How does it look?
The Sword In The Stone is presented in a full frame transfer, which preserves the film’s intended aspect ratio. This is a welcome improvement over the laserdisc, with much better visual presence in all respects. I was very pleased with the source materials used, as I saw minimal evidence of damage or debris, very cool indeed. The colors look vivid and lush here also, with no bleeds or smears to report in the least. I have no complaints with the black levels either, as contrast is well balanced and no visible detail loss can be detected.
Audio: How does it sound?
Although some problems do surface with the new Dolby Digital 5.1 track used, I think this is still a decent overall audio effort. It could have better to be sure, but in the grand scheme of things, this one isn’t so bad. The included track sounds very dated and shows no range in the least, which left me let down somewhat. I knew the surrounds wouldn’t ring off the hook here, but I expected a clean, consistent mix and this not all that consistent. Some age signs are evident such as hiss, slight distortion, and harshness, but never enough to ruin the experience, just to lessen it a little. So is this a terrible mix? I don’t think so, but it should have sounded much better and as such, I am lowering the score to reflect the flaws. This disc also includes Spanish and French language tracks, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc is not as loaded as I would like, but it still packs enough extras to justify the retail price, if you ask me. I’ll start with All About Magic, a forty minute television special that’s hosted by Walt Disney and looks at magic within Disney’s efforts. I liked this piece a lot and while I wish the complete shorts were included elsewhere, the clips are fun to watch nonetheless. In addition to the three clips, you can also watch as Walt turns some magic tricks and who doesn’t love that idea, eh? Another featurette is also tacked on here, this one focusing on the Sherman brothers and their contributions to this film, including a couple of deleted sequences. Again, this was a nice inclusion and seeing the excised scenes was a treat, but I wish it was longer and more in depth. This disc also includes some film facts, a selection of still photos, two sing-a-long editions, and two bonus animated short films, Knight For A Day and Brave Little Tailor.
