The Sword in the Stone

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The Sword in the Stone

G

1963

1h 20m

Kids & Family

Fantasy

Animation

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Popcornmeter

65%

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31 Reviews

73%

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100,000+ Ratings

This Disney adaptation of the classic fable chronicles King Arthur's humble beginnings. As an orphaned child, Arthur, who was then known as Wart, wants to help his foster brother, Kay, succeed in becoming a knight. While helping Kay train, Wart stumbles upon a cabin belonging to Merlin, a bumbling but talented wizard. Merlin does his best to convince the boy that he is bound for greatness, and when Wart and Kay travel to London to attend a jousting contest, they learn that Merlin was right.

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Critics Consensus

A decent take on the legend of King Arthur, The Sword in the Stone suffers from relatively indifferent animation, but its characters are still memorable and appealing.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/29/2010

4/5

Delightful classic brings Arthur legend to life.

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Empire Magazine

11/03/2009

3/5

It feels older than contemporary Disney work due to flat, creaky animation. The story still has resonance for kids, though.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

11/03/2009

There is still some life in the characterizations, though the animation is turning stiff and flat.

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Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

12/23/2023

While Disney has had some misses, few are as obvious and consistent as The Sword in the Stone.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

10/05/2023

3/4

Those who enjoy Disney animation, as I do (I have all but seven of Disney’s animated features on video cassette), may take special liking to this feature with its crazy villainess, but may feel a bit let down in the plot area.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

09/08/2023

2/4

Aside from the owl Archimedes, none of the characters make any impression whatsoever.

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Tyler S

@tylerking24 Aug 27

That honestly was kinda weird. Like it felt every time I knew where we were going, they'd change things up. I just wish we had a little more consistency.

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Joel H

@786Joel Jul 25

When I was a kid, most of the big Disney animated productions were "girl movies," so I was thrilled to have a "boy movie" like The Sword in the Stone. I wonder if the reason I’m fascinated by Arthurian legend is partly because I watched this film so many times growing up. I love the sequences of Wart being transformed into different animals, and the wizard’s duel between Merlin and Madam Mim is one of my favorite animated sequences of all time. The different scenes can feel a little disjointed at times, and Arthur’s voice changes are somewhat distracting, but hail, King Arthur! Long live the king!

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 10

A obra exalta o puro charme e a excentricidade característicos do estúdio, mesmo sob restrições orçamentárias. Em vez de uma narrativa épica e densa sobre o Rei Artur, a Disney preferiu focar a infância de "Wart" em formato de comédia de fantasia, embora o ritmo seja um pouco fragmentado.

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Matteo Q

@Matteo59 Apr 28

Bello ma a tratti noioso. il miglior personaggio è il mago merlino

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Ben W

@Username618 Apr 25

seem to remember I absolutely loved.

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Kyle M

@RT77296778 Apr 20

Not quite as spellbinding like its predecessors besides the pleasantly crispy endurance but rather more thoughtful that expresses a tale’s value that’s worth teaching through decent character growth in its own interpretative alignment. (B+)

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Wolfgang Reitherman

Director

Sebastian Cabot

Sir Ector

Rickie Sorensen

Wart

Alan Napier

Sir Pelinore

Karl Swenson

Merlin

Norman Alden

Sir Kay

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Synopsis

This Disney adaptation of the classic fable chronicles King Arthur's humble beginnings. As an orphaned child, Arthur, who was then known as Wart, wants to help his foster brother, Kay, succeed in becoming a knight. While helping Kay train, Wart stumbles upon a cabin belonging to Merlin, a bumbling but talented wizard. Merlin does his best to convince the boy that he is bound for greatness, and when Wart and Kay travel to London to attend a jousting contest, they learn that Merlin was right.

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Producer: Walt Disney
Screenwriter: Bill Peet
Distributor: Buena Vista Distribution Co. Inc.
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1963, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 23, 2013
Runtime: 1h 20m

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