The Sword in the Stone

Delightful classic brings Arthur legend to life.

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

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

The feature-length cartoon demonstrates anew the magic of the Disney animators and imagination in character creation.

He had my heart racing like a squirrel. He had my body soaring into the stratosphere like a bird. He had me slippery and firm like a fresh young perch.

A beautifully animated Disney feature.

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

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.

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

The 2D animation looks splendid, if not up to the heights of previous Disney animated affairs. The antics of playful animals appeal to the child in all of us, while the story moves at a good pace and varies pleasantly from Arthur-ian expectations