Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.
The humor sparkles with real, knowing sophistication -- meaning for all ages -- and some of the characters on the fifth-century landscape of Old England are Disney pips.
– Glenn Collins,
New York Times,
21 May 2003
fresh:
A beautifully animated Disney feature.
– Derek Adams,
Time Out,
24 Jun 2006
fresh:
The feature-length cartoon demonstrates anew the magic of the Disney animators and imagination in character creation.
– Variety Staff,
Variety,
26 Mar 2009
rotten:
There is still some life in the characterizations, though the animation is turning stiff and flat.