I love this movie...

I love this as well. Best Arthurian-Fantasy film.

It's interesting, I've read this a lot. I think why I don't see it, is because I fell in love with this film as a kid. I absolutely loved knights, dragons, wizards, the whole bit. This was the closest to that being real I had ever seen. I imagine seeing this as an adult for the first time I would probably be a lot more critical.

I'm just glad I saw it as a kid, now I can enjoy it forever.

There is a little chewing of the scenery. Liam Neeson dining at the round table for one. I recall NIcol Williamson being accused of being a bit over the top as Merlin too. Nigel Terry is also a bit heavy handed.

But mostly I dismiss this as being part of the subject matter and also a balance to the production. The production is also over the top. It doesn't support subtle acting. These characters are larger than life and the story is one that has lasted for centuries. How can you tone it down with that Wagnerian sound track playing in the back ground?

I think you just have to take the over the top performances in stride with the subject & overall Shakespearean tone of the film.

This film should have been "over the top" by modern standards. Think about their values and belief system. The knights more or less followed a code of honor that would be considered ludicrous today. They believed that the superior warrior is acknowledged under the "eyes of God" and would be victorious as a result. A knight who was "true" would best one who was "false," also a righteous rule of cosmic order. A woman's honor was defended not in a court of law but through a joust. Only a knight could offer mercy to another knight. The warrior nobility sat at a round table and discussed lofty matters like virtue and bravery. Underlying this already different human realm we had an unseen dragon that would spew forth a mist when properly tickled, spirit gods summoned by necromancers, a lovely lake dwelling blond lady who surfaces every few thousand years for unknown reasons offering the mighty Excalibur to a worthy king, and a land whose fate is literally bound to the king who rules it. Within this absurd fantasyland, isn't "over the top" dialog belted out with sincere emotion a necessity? Imagine Keanu Reeves as Lancelot, imploring Arthur to make him the king's champion, making his plea in his lifeless surfer boy tone? Now *that* would be laughable. I actually find it sad that people judge the manner of dialog in a fantasy film with such cynicism.

3rd time is a charm! Love it. I really missed something before but not tonight. True epic. Classic.

a classic