King Arthur, the Young Warlord

As has been said in other reviews this is a feature film that has been put together by cleverly editing the popular children's television series that was screened in the UK in the early seventies. It was immensely popular and is fondly remembered by many people of that generation. Like so many UK TV series of that period it was shot on a minimal budget and at times tends to be somewhat creaky and the dialogue at times clunky - but the stories were written by many of the top television screenwriters of the period and many of the 30 minutes shows are little gems. The low budget also meant that the set designers were apt to be creative and thus what we have are wooden sets and oodles of mud - in other words brutal realism. And - the key cast members Tobias, Gothard and Watson - plus a wonderful bombastic Brian Blessed - fill the screen with gusto and give larger than life performances that make you fondly chuckle and root for them. One reviewer has pointed out that he feels that it is historically inaccurate. He is wrong. If there was an Arthur/Artoise - he was a Celtic warlord - who may have become a king during the early period of the dark ages, when Rome withdrew from Britain. Thus historically - it is the most accurate version of the legends yet made. As an aside the original television series - 23 episodes - has now been released as a box set.