NOTE: This is the second part of a large review, you can view the second part by clicking here. It took me a long time, when I was younger, to catch this second part of Merlin. This was mostly due to cable being wildly expensive, and a thing that my family couldn't afford. At the time, however, I distinctly remember the praise the first part received and how this second part was so highly anticipated that it had been on magazine covers, though I don't think TV guide was one of them. Thankfully, a teacher had been so impressed by this series that, in high-school, I was able to watch it in whole. Because of this, I was able to experience the entire mini-series, and eventually bought the DVD myself. The second part of Merlin immediately presents watcher's with far more complicated dilemma's then the first. Now, Merlin is paired with Arthur (The King Arthur of Legend), a young boy he raised to become King and immediately cements the boy as such. Though he is raised to be good man, he inevitably falters at times, though one has to wonder - is the bulk of Arthur's problems simply because of Mab and Merlin's, increasingly petty, feud? I think so. A good deal of loose ends left in the first part come together here: Arthur's true mother had a sister, she returns here and develops an interesting relationship with Frik (who is no longer merely comic relief), Nimue's mental state slowly deteriorates as she rarely sees Merlin anymore, as he is off doing things without her, minor characters from the first part stick around, and either become obstacles to Arthur or new allies. Almost nothing is left out aside from a few things, such as the fate of the soothsayer, or the reason behind Mab placing a stone in Arthur's crib when he was a child. The latter, to me, seems like the element of a plot that might've been left on the cutting room floor - no doubt kept in because it begins Mab and Frik's relationship with Morgana. If you were to think that the inclusion of rape in the first part was shocking, this time we get incest. Yes, Morgana's ugly sister is given beauty by Mab and Frik - only to go absolutely insane immediately, and agree to take part in a plot that involves her being impregnated by Arthur. Uniquely, the writers didn't just gloss by the monstrosity of Mab's actions (or how, maybe, she'd done this in response to Merlin's part in Arthur's conception), when Arthur finds out he is genuinely disgusted, distraught, and, in my opinion, begins to understand the terrible nature of this universe's magic. Merlin, however, seems to treat the situation as if it's a nuisance rather then something that could harm his cause later on. In fact, Merlin pretty much treats all further issues in this series as if they are merely annoyances, rather then genuine threats. I'm not sure if this shows how tired the character has grown with everything, or that the other characters, and their subplots, are more interesting. A lot does happen, the rise and fall of Lancelot, the repercussions of Arthur's obsession with the Holy grail leads to his Queen (played by a young Lena Headey long before Game Of Thrones) falling for the supposedly gallant Knight, Merlin learns that he's gotten a little bitter about everything and is, indeed, a man who can make mistakes, Frik falls in love with Morgana, confronts Mab when she kills her, and becomes mortal because of it. However, the main plot here is Mab's final bid, Mordred, a insufferable super-powered nutcase who exists strictly to undermine and annoy his father. What is interesting is that Mab does develop a connection with this miserable manufactured man, and grows to love him - making his eventual and expected Death a somewhat sad moment. Merlin ends on a rather bitter-sweet note, as main characters die, and the nature of good and bad, as well as the power of belief is fully explored. Merlin himself does get a good ending with Nimue, and we end on a high note for Frik. But, a person can't help but feel that maybe nothing would've happened if Merlin simply left things be, or moved past his pride, and vengeful goals. This series brings up issues that were far ahead of it's time for fantasy films, and far outshines the storytelling of most, if not all, of them (including Peter Jackson's LoTR and the Hobbit). I'm not talking about adventure and spectacle, I'm talking about the overall questions that could be asked - what is truly good or evil? What is right and wrong? Are these characters truly just, or merely doing these things to achieve their own goals? And, what does desperation truly bring? It is these questions that Merlin leaves me with every time I watch it, and its because of this that I highly recommend you watch it. It is a highly complicated masterpiece that is, sadly, overlooked nowadays and one that desperately needs attention (and an eventual BluRay release). -L. BROOKS
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WARNING: There are just so many spoilers here. If you haven't seen this, stop reading, hop in your time machine and go back to 1998 when it was new and airing on Television. No, all plot details are not described here, only a few key moments I fell are essential to deeming the quality of Merlin. Back in the day, before internet culture had absolutely dominated the planet, when the opinionated masses didn't feel as if everything had to be torn apart for not taking their views into consideration, torn apart just because something was old or silly, there was a period of television dominance. Wherein, if a movie was good enough to be on a major television network - it was therefore deemed a success, that was it. FOX, ABC, NBS, CBC, etc had the sway of things back then (even in Canada), they determined what media you consumed, and late night movies were major events for families who tuned in. Eventually, companies caught on - separating major movies, like Robocop 2, into two separate nights, and eventually making massive star-studded spectacles strictly for television, rather then just airing low budget junk that was cheap and easy to fill in the spaces between all the high-ranked television sitcoms and dramas that were airing at the time. So rolled out the miniseries, a not-quite-movie-not-quite-television-program hybrid - it bore the likes of Salem's Lot, IT, Rose Red, The Stand (that is a lot of Stephen King), The Magical Land of Leprechauns, The 10th Kingdom, Gulliver Travels, and went on to pave the way for more massive venture such as The White Queen, Band of Brothers, Pillars of the Earth, and so many other obvious titles. Somewhere, somehow, in the middle of all that was Merlin - a star-studded Arthurian epic about the struggle between master and creator, new and old, right and wrong. I could, certainly, go on all day about the actors in this movie - all the big names, all the care they took with their roles (aside from Rutger Hauer, who mostly just plays himself). Yes, this movie was treated like a major film, despite it being of a slightly lower quality, and even the smaller, almost unknown to this day, actors mingle with the high-profile performers flawlessly. But, this is a blog about stories and I'm not exactly great at judging the caliber of an actor. So I'll save it for those more qualified. I do have to note, however, that I absolutely love Miranda Richardson in her dual role as both Queen Mab and her sister, The Lady of the Lake. Getting right into it, Merlin begins somewhat slow and simple. For a long time magic has been the way of things, and Queen Mab has presided over most everything for a good long while, both human and magical. This is all threatened, however, as the Christian faith has brought the creator god into existence, and day by day the old ways, of magical abilities and creatures, are pushed out of the minds of mortals. In desperation, Queen Mab brings the wizard Merlin (Sam Neil) into existence, in a bid to make mortals continue their belief in magic - therefore, keeping it alive. This setup is magnificent, as it does show that Mab was once a little more benevolent before the advent of the Christian faith, and that it's rise had clearly taken many of the things she held close away (Ambrosia, Merlin's caretaker, even states that she once had love, but it was no more). Almost everything she does is the product of manipulation, and she uses her dwindling power only when she thinks it will absolutely aid her and her people. Everything she does could be considered evil to the Christians, but good to the magical world. Not only that, Mab is the only character willing to fight for her people - as her sister, the Lady of the Lake, simply accepts that she'll fade into nothingness, and the Rock of Ages believes he can never be subject to death. It's important to take note of this, as this situation is what drives Mab's every action. My only gripe with the opening bit is that the man playing young Merlin is just a little too old-looking for me to believe he is a teenager, and the creators saw it fit to stick Nimue (Isabella Rossellini), the daughter of a powerful lord, into probably the dumbest situation possible: sinking into a bog of quicksand. Worse yet, her servants and handmaids just let her walk off - it doesn't make much sense. Merlin, of course, saves her - but that is just about where his overall heroics end for the movie. Surprisingly, this is for the better. When the series finally gets Merlin off the ground, shedding weak attempts at comedy through characters like Frik (Martin Short), he is immediately flawed and the concept of magic, the nature of his creation, and Mab herself have left a bitter taste in his mouth. Despite him being the product of the old ways, he wants the Christians to win strictly because he wants that world to fade away - feeling that magic has a price and the power it brings imbues people and things with a careless nature towards others. And, damn, this series uses every opportunity to show that the price of magic is high. Anyone that uses it or has it is is a tool for something greater, ultimately Mab, and in the end they are discarded. Ultimately, Merlin sees the need for certain kingdom's to fall, as they align with Mab, and he sets about trying to aid the men who can do it. The Lady of the Lake gives him Excalibur, and he uses it to take down a man he feels is evil with those he feels are good. However, it's not that simple. At this point, Merlin uses the sword to kill a King, but in turn he gives power to a man who can't control himself; who lusts for another man's wife. Sure, the Christians are a little more powerful and Mab is a little weaker, but Merlin has inadvertently given power to a deviant. It really makes you wonder, when Merlin was given a vision earlier int he series, was it his own, or a subtle ploy put in place by Mab to torment him? Now, readers, if you think that Game of Thrones is a originator of complicated dramatic situations in a fantasy environment - prepare to be blown away. Merlin puts Excalibur in stone, asking the Rock of Ages to deem the man who pulls it as worthy. He, however, turns to Ulther, the new King, and agrees to go forward with a plot involving rape. He will transform Ulther, for a night, into the lord of Cornwall for a time, so that he can have the lord's wife. A child will be born from this, and Merlin wants it, he wants to groom this child into a good man. It really was at this point that I questioned Merlin himself. Through all the years he spent trying to do the good thing, failing at times, as any man would, he is clearly willing to do the wrong thing in order to get at Mab. To me, the first part of Merlin ended as a mono-myth. Merlin set out to stop Mab, he suffers greatly, so did those around him (such as Nimue, who is badly scarred due to his refusal to use magic) was a hero to some, but in the end he became just as desperate and flawed as Mab herself. Merlin, at this point, is willing to use people as devices to achieve his goals and push the Christian faith. He and Mab, have become the same. (Stay tuned for the second part) -L. BROOKS |
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