Screenhead

Now, this one’s got me a little freaked out because it’s working two sides of the quality fence all at once.  One, this is actually a Sci-Fi Channel movie.  It was actually on before I got my hands on a copy of the DVD.  I know, I know…it’s SyFy now, but frankly, I find that name both ludicrous and wrong.  Anyway, SyFy movies in the past have trended toward the “depressing wreckage” category and mostly rip off old monster flicks.  I spent years referring to them as Sci Fi Channel Not So Original Pictures, because frankly, their name, Sci Fi Channel Original Picture, was generally an outright lie.

And yet…and yet, I find myself encouraged, because this one, Merlin and the Book of Beasts, is an ANCHOR BAY release.  I’ve seen a LOT of Anchor Bay releases and I’ll tell you this much:  precious few Anchor Bay releases suck.  Anchor Bay is almost always good.

So what happens when “almost always bad” meets “almost always good”?  Let’s find out right now–however, you’re going to have to wait until August 25th to get this one.  That’s right, we’ve got another one fully a month ahead of schedule for you, so you can make your renting decisions well in advance!

This time, we’re looking at some pretty medieval badness here in Camelot–King Arthur’s gone missing, the Round Table is a lost cause and evil sorcerors are running riot all over the land.  With only a handful of knights left to defend the land, they’re going to be counting on legendary wizard Merlin to take charge and help restore Camelot to its former glory.  The downside, of course, is that Merlin’s pretty much had it with the whole wizard thing, and would rather be left alone.  But will he recover in time to answer the darkness sweeping Camelot?

I found myself wavering back and forth quite a bit on this one–both feeling the sweet Anchor Bay goodness in the fairly unique plot and solid special effects, and the cheesy SyFy rottenness in the overblown dialogue.  There’s greatness in this movie, and also plenty of unpleasantness.  They’ll add incredibly convenient, almost deus ex machina sort of plot effects to the whole thing, and frankly, nothing irritates me so much like a handy little macguffin that can solve everyone’s problems quick, easy and out of hand.

Even though I spent at least a little time gravely annoyed by this, I also spent a lot of time happy and entertained.  Merlin and the Book of Beasts is a downright exciting movie, with plenty of swords and sorcery action to be had.  Anyone who has even a vague interest in fantasy fare is probably going to be downright enamored with this.

At least up until the end, anyway, when more deus ex machina solutions come bursting forth and everything is rather conveniently solved by applications of things that had never been before mentioned.

So much of Merlin and the Book of Beasts is high-quality stuff, but there’s plenty of it that’s downright low-grade too.  It’s hard to dislike it for its failings, and yet, just as hard to like it for its successes.  It’s a downright mixed bag, and if you’re prepared to forgive some serious plot deficiencies, you’ll likely enjoy the deep fantasy action feel of the whole thing.

Merlin and the Book of Beasts takes home a six out of ten for having almost every one of its virtues canceled out with an equal part of flaw.