Gary Lockwood ("2001: A Space Odyssey") plays George, the adopted son of kooky old sorceress Sybil (Estelle Winwood, "Darby O'Gill and the Little People"). He's fallen in love with a princess (Anne Helm, "Follow That Dream") from afar, and so when she is abducted by nefarious sorcerer Lodac (Basil Rathbone, "The Comedy of Terrors") to be a meal for his pet dragon, George is determined to undertake a perilous "dark journey" loaded with "seven curses" to rescue her. George has some magic on his side, as Sybil had previously gifted him with a swift horse and a powerful sword & armor.
Admittedly, "The Magic Sword" is a rather juvenile fantasy-adventure that may come off as lame to people wanting something darker and *more* perilous. But it serves its purpose as a genre film for a more family-oriented audience - still, it's not without its own darker & more disturbing moments. (Such as the fate of two of the knights.) Director Bert I. Gordon serves up a smorgasbord of colorful elements to make this pretty engaging: a hag (Maila "Vampira" Nurmi, "Plan 9 from Outer Space"), who masquerades as a beautiful woman (Danielle De Metz, "Return of the Fly"), an oversized ogre (Jack Kosslyn, "Empire of the Ants"), a rather nasty-looking bog, comedy relief Siamese twins (Nick and Paul Bon Tempi), etc. The two-headed dragon that is the centerpiece of the film is a pretty good puppet, and one of the better dragons on film, although it's no Vermithrax Pejorative from "Dragonslayer". The effects, overall, are variable, however.
Of the cast, old pros Rathbone and Winwood come off best because they are able to maintain a light touch in their performances as respectively evil and good characters. However, young Lockwood IS very sincere as the hero of the piece. Liam Sullivan ("That Darn Cat!") is fine as the dubious, "don't trust this guy for a second" character Sir Branton.
"The Magic Sword" is sometimes played for tongue in cheek, with appropriately jokey music by Richard Markowitz. In general, it should do a fairly good job of entertaining ones' own family.
Six out of 10.
Admittedly, "The Magic Sword" is a rather juvenile fantasy-adventure that may come off as lame to people wanting something darker and *more* perilous. But it serves its purpose as a genre film for a more family-oriented audience - still, it's not without its own darker & more disturbing moments. (Such as the fate of two of the knights.) Director Bert I. Gordon serves up a smorgasbord of colorful elements to make this pretty engaging: a hag (Maila "Vampira" Nurmi, "Plan 9 from Outer Space"), who masquerades as a beautiful woman (Danielle De Metz, "Return of the Fly"), an oversized ogre (Jack Kosslyn, "Empire of the Ants"), a rather nasty-looking bog, comedy relief Siamese twins (Nick and Paul Bon Tempi), etc. The two-headed dragon that is the centerpiece of the film is a pretty good puppet, and one of the better dragons on film, although it's no Vermithrax Pejorative from "Dragonslayer". The effects, overall, are variable, however.
Of the cast, old pros Rathbone and Winwood come off best because they are able to maintain a light touch in their performances as respectively evil and good characters. However, young Lockwood IS very sincere as the hero of the piece. Liam Sullivan ("That Darn Cat!") is fine as the dubious, "don't trust this guy for a second" character Sir Branton.
"The Magic Sword" is sometimes played for tongue in cheek, with appropriately jokey music by Richard Markowitz. In general, it should do a fairly good job of entertaining ones' own family.
Six out of 10.