Camelot: The Complete Series (Uncut Edition)

 

 

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I love King Arthur and his legendary knights, whether it's gritty "historical" stories or a pile of medieval anachronisms a la Malory.

But the once and future king has really gotten more than his fair share of rotten movies and TV, and the latest disaster is "Camelot." No, not the Broadway musical or the movie adaptation -- this is Starz's attempt at updating the timeless Arthurian legends (which don't NEED updating), which just turns into a silly, sloppy and overly PC mess.

The evil princess Morgan (Eva Green) murders her father Uther, exiles her stepmother, and allies herself with her dad's enemy King Lot. But Merlin (Joseph Fiennes) is having none of this, and hunts down Uther's secret illegitimate son Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bower), who has been raised by an adoptive family in the country. With Merlin's guidance and training (in rock-climbing), Arthur claims the throne --and gains Morgan's wrath.

He also falls in love with Guinevere (Tamsin Egerton), the beautiful young wife of a loyal knight, and is deftly manipulated by Merlin in decidedly unmagical ways, sometimes with bloody outcomes. As young Arthur struggles to unite Britain under him, he must deal with Morgan constantly trying to undermine his rule and his power -- but with little idea of just how far she will go.

The idea behind "Camelot" is not a bad one, and even the rewriting of Arthurian lore (the origins of Excalibur) aren't that bad. The problem is in the execution. This series wants to be a plot-heavy, gritty, authentic "Game of Thrones"-esque story, but it's actually more of a silly, anachronistic BCC "Robin Hood" (complete with multiculturalism and modern feminism, which makes it doubly ridiculous).

Yeah, this is one of those series where the costumes, sets, perfectly-coiffed hair and even some of the beautiful scenery all feel like they were lifted from a Renaissance Faire. There's no feeling of timeless grandeur, epicness or awe -- instead, it sometimes feels like "King Arthur: The Legendary Journeys." Additionally, the main storyline is.... rather weak, especially since the straightforward Morgan's plans for overthrowing Arthur get downright silly.

As for the acting, it's a mixed bag. Fiennes is wonderfully conniving and Machievellian as Merlin, almost to the point of being villainous, Peter Mooney is dynamic as Kay, and Green is brilliantly wrenching as a destructive yet wronged young woman.

However, Bower's Arthur is a massive twerp, with zero presence or charisma. He's a skinny surfer-dudeish kid whose appeal is honestly a total mystery. I mean, his Arthur only decides to become king because HE CAN SCORE WITH GIRLS. Who can take that seriously? As for Egerton, she's painfully awkward and rather flat, and her character is Mary-Sueish to the extreme.

"Camelot" is a painful experience -- not just because it's a lackluster, weakly-plotted series, but because it could have easily been so much more. Give it a pass.

Camelot is a depressing version of the story of King Arthur. If you like BBC's Merlin, it is doubtful that you will also enjoy Camelot. This series seems heavy handed with the dark side of life, with little of the uplifting or encouraging side. Arthur is historically an inspiring character, whose nobility and courage are legend. This Arthur is weak, insipid and flat. The acting is a mixed bag - some quite good, some pretty terrible. Overall, not an enjoyable version of the King Arthur genre.

I thought that this series provided a really interesting spin on the old Arthur story, essentially telling the tale from the points of view of Merlin and Morgana. Merlin is cast as a character with sincere doubts about himself, about his role in history and myth, and about his power and the dangers inherent in that power. Morgana has no such doubts and, in her ambitious use of her magic, she inherently destroys her humanity, her self. I actually liked the first season of Camelot more than that of Game of Thrones (at least until the last couple first-season episodes of that mostly muddy series). But as we know in the perplexing world of popular culture, quality and success are rarely twins.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Series!!
I could not wait for Camelot to arrive.
Now that it has I Am Not Disappointed!!
It's wonderful!!
The actors really do the story justice. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Nina

5.0 out of 5 stars Camelot
This is an absolutely fantastic series! You will not be able to stop watching it once you start so set several hours aside to watch back to back episodes.

Published 4 months ago by Vanessa

1.0 out of 5 stars Another Hollywood Lackluster!
It's hard to imagine that so many people are awestruck by the historical thoroughness and lively acting in this newest interpretation of King Arthur and his land of Camelot when... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Mhyst

1.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended for history buffs
I really don't want to continue the process of watching this series because it was painfull to move into after enjoying Pillars of the Earth. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Jeff W. Fowler

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended movie
The Blue Ray Disc does not have subtitle, but I enjoyed the series. I wish the producer will continue with season 2.

Published 5 months ago by George

4.0 out of 5 stars Good entertainment
Camelot is well done and very good entertainment.
I enjoy being taken back in time where survival of the fittest still applies. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Betschart

3.0 out of 5 stars Some Potential...
I love this era, King Arthur and his knights. For me the choice of Jamie Campbell Bower as King Arthur would not have been my first. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Kris D

5.0 out of 5 stars A more historical Arthur plus some careful mysticism
Latest research about Tintagl Castle was not ignored in putting the script together.
I liked several historical details blended in:
1. Read more

Published 7 months ago by Ernst Wiltmann

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!
I thought this was an excellent series with a fabulous reinvention of the Arthurian myth. The acting was superb and the locations were absolutely gorgeous.

Published 7 months ago by Rebecca Staines

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun with the Arthurian legend
This entertaining reimagining of the Arthurian legend likes to take liberties with the conventional telling and that's partly why I liked it. Read more

Published 8 months ago by lotara

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