The Sword in the Stone is another one of those Disney films that never seems to get the respect it truly deserves. It was released in between two other Disney classics that are held in a much higher regard, 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book. Those two movies have been praised since their release, and always get the special two disc special edition treatment on home video release. So why does this awkward middle child of the three showcase it's rejection by constantly getting the crappy one disc shaft? Critics claim the film dates itself with Merlin's constant references to the future. Lame excuse if you ask me, considering how Aladdin was loaded with other pop culture references directly from Robin Williams, but Aladdinreaminsseem unharmed by those references twenty three years later. Perhaps Sword in the Stone was missing something the other two had. Out of the three, Dalmations in my opinion does rank supreme. But The Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book actually aren't that different from each other when you compare their basic story elements. And having watched both of them stoned, I think Sword in the Stone proceeds Jungle Book.
Here's why, and no this is not just the pot talking. The film opens with a gorgeous Sherman Bros. song, detailing the history of the legend of the sword, sweeping over an animated backdrop of London town. The song has those 60's harmonies reminiscent of a children's 45 record. It's a song that I often like to start my morning listening to because it's so innocently beautiful. Listen here:
With the song in place, I've completely submitted myself to the childlike whimsy of Sword in the Stone. A feeling that's heightened when Wart enters the movie. Wart is the perfect example of the young boy in all us young boys at heart, who's head is filled with a childlike sense of wonder and magic. And like a lot of us who were outcasts as children, he's a complete loser. He's another underdog, joining the long ranks of literary and cinematic underdogs we all root for, from David fighting Goliath to Harry Potter fighting Voldemort. Watching it at twenty five, I'm STILL relating to Wart. Sometimes feeling like I'm good for nothing but continuing to find magical glimmers of hope all around me that might offer some payoff in the end. In the end it's he who carries the film, not Merlin.
But of course the movie wouldn't be as fun without Merlin. Especially while stoned. For any smoker who may be watching the film, Merlin is the scary magic man who comes out of nowhere, spilling forth from your head and taking you on a wild ride whether you're buckled in or not. The weed I was smoking that night with my friend Keith however offered a strong but mellow high, so I was prepared. Flying dishes? Throw 'em at me. Higitus Figitus(or was it Hockety Pockety?),\ over a bag that packs everything including the kitchen sink? Page Hermione Granger!! But the best part of Merlin's magic during that high time was his talking owl companion, Archimedes. This owl's got a superpower and it's not the ability to talk. It's the superpower of I can't even, because this bird has HAD it!!
The poor owl has to put up with so much magical shit thrown at him that he's frustrated to no end. Insert the first batch of stoner giggles when Merlin is trying to persuade Archimedes to play along with another one of his blathering old man spells, and Archimedes clearly lets him and the rest of the world know, that the word is: NO NO, NO!!!!
In the famous scene where Wart is scrubbing dishes in a room containing mountains of them, Merlin comes in to speed up the job by having the dishes clean themselves. This of course gets even more out of hand when Sir Ector, Wart's guardian, walks in to see this demonic display of housekeeping. The dishes start attacking him and he rightfully pulls out his sword to defend himself. With one good whack he hits the leading pot(ha, pot), with his sword, only to have his cheap ass sword shatter against the copper-plated cooking ware, and the row of floating dishes ram into his mustached face. This caused me to giggle so much we had to stop the movie, and Keith kept looking at me like I was nuts. He should have known better, he's a bigger stoner than I am. For the record.
Now we get to Madame Mim. This bitch is SCARY!! At least, she is seeing her on a giant flat screen for the first time while stoned out of my gourd. Wart, whose currently a bird in this scene after falling down a chimney in the middle of one of Merlin's...bird teachings, is clearly in danger of being murdered by the Paula Deen of the London kingdom.
What then proceeds is an ultimate showdown between Sorcerer and Sorceress. The film's climax that even a lot of critics agree is the film's biggest highlight. The scene is great, but just like the two previous Disney films I had watched while smoking, the big climax scene didn't excite me as much as the small stuff did. I didn't realize it then but it makes a lot more sense now, when I watch these films high I'm more in awe of all the smaller things. Background animation, music, voice talent, things that maybe we didn't appreciate enough watching these films as kids. And that's a great thing!! Because it provides us with a new experience, not to mention a stoned descent into warm and tingly animated pixel madness.
It's those small things, and the newly gained appreciation for them, that make The Sword in the Stone a true Disney treasure. Whether you let the magic happen on it's own, or take a puff of the magic green leaf to accompany you on your journey. As a man-child who will forever be a kid at heart, Wart is my hero. And The Sword in the Stone is truly an underrated and shockingly shunned, Disney classic.
In the famous scene where Wart is scrubbing dishes in a room containing mountains of them, Merlin comes in to speed up the job by having the dishes clean themselves. This of course gets even more out of hand when Sir Ector, Wart's guardian, walks in to see this demonic display of housekeeping. The dishes start attacking him and he rightfully pulls out his sword to defend himself. With one good whack he hits the leading pot(ha, pot), with his sword, only to have his cheap ass sword shatter against the copper-plated cooking ware, and the row of floating dishes ram into his mustached face. This caused me to giggle so much we had to stop the movie, and Keith kept looking at me like I was nuts. He should have known better, he's a bigger stoner than I am. For the record.
And is it just me or is Sir Kay one hot ginger?
Now we get to Madame Mim. This bitch is SCARY!! At least, she is seeing her on a giant flat screen for the first time while stoned out of my gourd. Wart, whose currently a bird in this scene after falling down a chimney in the middle of one of Merlin's...bird teachings, is clearly in danger of being murdered by the Paula Deen of the London kingdom.
What then proceeds is an ultimate showdown between Sorcerer and Sorceress. The film's climax that even a lot of critics agree is the film's biggest highlight. The scene is great, but just like the two previous Disney films I had watched while smoking, the big climax scene didn't excite me as much as the small stuff did. I didn't realize it then but it makes a lot more sense now, when I watch these films high I'm more in awe of all the smaller things. Background animation, music, voice talent, things that maybe we didn't appreciate enough watching these films as kids. And that's a great thing!! Because it provides us with a new experience, not to mention a stoned descent into warm and tingly animated pixel madness.
It's those small things, and the newly gained appreciation for them, that make The Sword in the Stone a true Disney treasure. Whether you let the magic happen on it's own, or take a puff of the magic green leaf to accompany you on your journey. As a man-child who will forever be a kid at heart, Wart is my hero. And The Sword in the Stone is truly an underrated and shockingly shunned, Disney classic.
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