Kids of the Round Table

Last updated
Kids of the Round Table
Directed by Robert Tinnell
Written by David Sherman
Robert Tinnell
Screenplay by David Sherman
Based on Arthurian legend
Produced byRichard Goudreau
Starring Malcolm McDowell
Michael Ironside
Peter Aykroyd
Melissa Altro
René Simard
CinematographyRoxanne di Santo
Edited by Gaétan Huot
Music by Normand Corbeil
Production
companies
Desert Music Pictures
Melenny Productions
Téléfilm Canada
Distributed byMalofilm International
Release dates
  • May 1995 (1995-05)(Cannes Film Festival)
  • December 15, 1995 (1995-12-15)(Quebec, Canada)
  • January 12, 1996 (1996-01-12)(USA television premiere on Disney Channel)
Running time
89 minutes
Countries Canada
United States
Language English

Kids of the Round Table is a 1995 Canadian/American fantasy film written and directed by Robert Tinnell. Malcolm McDowell, Michael Ironside and newcomer Johnny Morina star in a modern-day adventure filled with medieval magic.

Contents

Plot

A boy named Alex Cole and his friends have fun participating in pretend medieval battles at a "castle" built from a shed. After one such battle, the kids gather around a round table and Alex tells his friends about the legend of King Arthur. A group of bullies led by James "Scar" Scarsdale arrives and intimidates Alex's friends into fleeing. Alex fights back by throwing a water balloon at Scar. The bullies chase Alex into the woods, but Alex loses them and encounters a sword lodged in a stone. He pulls the sword from the stone, at which point the wizard Merlin appears and brings Alex to his dwelling in a tree where he begins teaching Alex how to use the sword, which he reveals to be Excalibur.

Alex befriends a new kid at school named Luke, whom he invites to visit the castle. When they arrive, they find that Scar and his bullies are harassing Alex's friends. Alex calls upon the power of Excalibur, allowing him to easily defeat Scar in a fistfight. Alex, Luke, and the other kids manage to intimidate the bullies into retreating. To reward Luke for helping them, Alex accepts him as one of the "knights". Afterwards, Alex visits Merlin, who advises Alex that he should never misuse Excalibur's power, since doing so would lead to him losing Excalibur.

Scar's father Butch tells his associates Gil and Stu that he plans to commit a crime and then to flee town. Alex finds out that his friend Jenny, whom he has a crush on, is attracted to Luke. This makes Alex depressed and he avoids visiting Merlin that day. Merlin, however, visits Alex at night and advises him that young love can lead to pain. The next day, Alex's jealousy causes him to attack Luke. Luke initially overpowers Alex and tries to talk sense into him, but Alex draws power from Excalibur and punches Luke to the ground. Jenny tells Alex that she now hates him for what he did and that he is worse than Scar. Rejected by his friends, Alex goes to Merlin's tree but Merlin is not there. He goes home to check on Excalibur, but the sword is gone. Alex returns to the tree, where he hears Merlin's voice tell him that he has misused Excalibur's power and that he hopes Alex will learn from his mistake.

Alex talks with his father, who advises him to apologize to his friends. Butch, Gil, and Stu rob the local bank. Jenny is having a party at her house with several other kids, including Luke. Meanwhile, her father, Sheriff Rick Ferguson, hears about the robbery and goes out to deal with it. After Ferguson leaves, Butch and his henchmen go to the house and hold Jenny, her mother, and the party guests hostage. Butch, who has a grudge against Ferguson, plans to wait until Ferguson returns and use him as a hostage to get them past police roadblocks during their getaway.

Alex arrives at Jenny's house and discovers what is happening. He sabotages the crooks' getaway car by flattening its tires. Alex lures Gil and Stu to a nearby barn, where he outsmarts and traps them. Alex sneaks into the house and calls the police to inform them of the situation. Butch captures Alex and takes him to the getaway car, abandoning his henchmen and the hostages. Despite the car's flat tires, Butch drives off with Alex. When the car gets stuck in a ditch, Butch tries to flee on foot with Alex, but Alex escapes and the other kids arrive and pelt Butch with apples. Alex disarms Butch and incapacitates him by throwing an apple at his groin. Sheriff Ferguson and the police arrive and arrest Butch. Alex apologizes to Jenny and Luke for attacking Luke and for being jealous.

Later, Alex goes into the woods. He encounters Scar and his friends, who make peace with Alex. He goes to Merlin's tree, where Merlin appears and reveals to Alex that he never really lost Excalibur because Excalibur is the good in him. Alex asks if he is King Arthur, and Merlin tells him that he can be Arthur if he wants to be, i.e. aspire to be everything Arthur represented, though he is not Arthur reincarnated. Merlin then vanishes.

The film closes with a scene in Los Angeles, where another child encounters a sword in a stone.

Cast

Release

Theatrical release

Kids of the Round Table premiered at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, [1] [2] [3] which was held from May 17 to 28 of that year. On December 15, 1995, the film was released in theaters in Quebec, Canada, under both its English title and the French title Apprentis Chevaliers. [4] [5]

Television premiere

The film had its world television premiere on The Disney Channel on January 12, 1996. [6]

Home media

The film was released on VHS tape on July 8, 1997, [7] and on DVD on July 25, 2006. [8]

Reception

Brendan Kelly of Variety gave a positive critique of the performances of McDowell, Ironside, and Simard, and wrote that Robert Tinnell did "a good job of crafting an efficient, fast-moving pic". [9]

2015 comic book spin-off

The film's writer and director Robert Tinnell partnered with Aaron J. Shelton to write a four-issue comic book mini-series spin-off published by Action Lab Comics between May and September 2015. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Excalibur</span> Legendary sword of King Arthur

Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Traditionally, the sword in the stone that is the proof of Arthur's lineage and the sword given to him by a Lady of the Lake are not the same weapon, even as in some versions of the legend both of them share the name of Excalibur. Several similar swords and other weapons also appear within Arthurian texts, as well as in other legends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady of the Lake</span> Enchantress and sorceress in Arthurian legend

The Lady of the Lake is a name or a title used by several either mermaid or mermaid-like but human enchantresses in the Matter of Britain, the body of medieval literature and mythology associated with the legend of King Arthur. She plays several important roles in many stories, including providing Arthur with the sword Excalibur, eliminating Merlin, raising Lancelot after the death of his father, and helping to take the dying Arthur to Avalon. Different sorceresses known as the Lady of the Lake appear concurrently as separate characters in some versions of the legend since at least the Post-Vulgate Cycle and consequently the seminal Le Morte d'Arthur, with the latter describing them as a hierarchical group, while some texts also give this title to either Morgan or her sister.

<i>Excalibur</i> (film) 1981 epic medieval fantasy film by John Boorman

Excalibur is a 1981 epic medieval fantasy film directed, cowritten and produced by John Boorman, that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, based loosely on the 15th-century Arthurian romance Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory. It stars Nigel Terry as Arthur, Nicol Williamson as Merlin, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guenevere, Helen Mirren as Morgana, Liam Neeson as Gawain, Gabriel Byrne as Uther and Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance. The film is named after the legendary sword of King Arthur that features prominently in Arthurian literature. The film's soundtrack features the music of Richard Wagner and Carl Orff, along with an original score by Trevor Jones.

Red Knight is a title borne by several characters in Arthurian legend.

King Pellinore is the king of Listenoise or of "the Isles" in Arthurian legend. In the tradition from the Old French prose, he is associated with the Questing Beast and is the slayer of King Lot. His many children include the sons Aglovale, Lamorak, and Percival, and the daughter Dindrane.

<i>The Little Rascals</i> (film) 1994 family comedy film by Penelope Spheeris

The Little Rascals is a 1994 American family comedy film produced by Amblin Entertainment, and released by Universal Pictures on August 5, 1994. The film is an adaptation of Hal Roach's Our Gang, a series of short films of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s which centered on the adventures of a group of neighborhood children. Directed by Penelope Spheeris, who co-wrote the screenplay with Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, the film presents several of the Our Gang characters in an updated setting, featuring re-interpretations of several of the original shorts. It is the first collaboration by Guay and Mazur, whose subsequent comedies were Liar Liar and Heartbreakers.

<i>Quest for Camelot</i> 1998 American animated film

Quest for Camelot is a 1998 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Warner Bros. Feature Animation and directed by Frederik Du Chau and very loosely based on the 1976 novel The King's Damosel by Vera Chapman. It features the voices of Jessalyn Gilsig, Cary Elwes, Gary Oldman, Eric Idle, Don Rickles, Jaleel White, Jane Seymour, Pierce Brosnan, Bronson Pinchot, Gabriel Byrne, John Gielgud, Frank Welker, and Sarah Rayne. Andrea Corr, Bryan White, Celine Dion, and Steve Perry perform the singing voices for Gilsig, Elwes, Seymour, and Brosnan. The story follows Kayley (Gilsig), the adventurous daughter of a Knight of the Round Table killed by the power-hungry Lord Ruber (Oldman). When Ruber's renewed attempt to usurp Camelot from King Arthur (Brosnan) by stealing Excalibur goes awry, Kayley enlists the help of the blind recluse Garrett (Elwes) and a two-headed dragon, Devon and Cornwall, to help her retrieve the sword and save the kingdom.

<i>Merlin</i> (miniseries) 1998 British-American television miniseries

Merlin is a 1998 two-part television miniseries starring Sam Neill as Merlin, recounting the wizard's life in the mythic history of Britain. Loosely adapted from the legendary tales of Camelot, the plot adds the antagonistic Queen Mab and expands Merlin's backstory before the birth of King Arthur.

<i>Knights of the Round Table</i> (film) 1953 film by Richard Thorpe

Knights of the Round Table is a 1953 British adventure historical film made by MGM in England and Ireland. Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman, it was the first film in CinemaScope made by the studio. The screenplay was by Talbot Jennings, Jan Lustig and Noel Langley from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, first published in 1485 by William Caxton.

Robert Tinnell is an American writer, film director and producer.

Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight In The Land is a British children's comedy television programme, broadcast on CITV. It originally aired between 11 February 2002 and 9 May 2003.

<i>Adventures of Sir Galahad</i> 1949 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

Adventures of Sir Galahad is the 41st serial released in 1949 by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, it stars George Reeves, Nelson Leigh, William Fawcett, Hugh Prosser, and Lois Hall. It was based on Arthurian legend, one of the very few serials of the time with a period setting that was not a western.

<i>The Story of King Arthur and His Knights</i> 1903 novel by Howard Pyle

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights is a 1903 children's novel by the American illustrator and writer Howard Pyle. The book contains a compilation of various stories, adapted by Pyle, regarding the legendary King Arthur of Britain and select Knights of the Round Table. Pyle's novel begins with Arthur in his youth and continues through numerous tales of bravery, romance, battle, and knighthood.

<i>Artus-Excalibur</i> Musical

Artus - Excalibur is a musical loosely based on the legends of the 5th/6th-century British monarch King Arthur and his fabled sword, Excalibur. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Robin Lerner, book by Ivan Menchell, and arrangements and orchestrations by Koen Schoots. The musical had its world premiere at the Theater St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland on March 15, 2014.

Nimue (<i>Once Upon a Time</i>) 7th episode of the 5th season of Once Upon a Time

"Nimue" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the American fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time, which aired on November 8, 2015.

<i>The Kid Who Would Be King</i> 2019 science fantasy action-adventure film by Joe Cornish

The Kid Who Would Be King is a 2019 urban fantasy action-adventure film written and directed by Joe Cornish. A British/American venture, the film stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Dean Chaumoo, Rhianna Doris, Angus Imrie, Rebecca Ferguson, and Patrick Stewart. The plot follows a young boy who finds King Arthur's legendary sword Excalibur and must use it to stop an ancient enchantress from enslaving the world with help from his classmates from school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Arthur in comics</span> The fictional British monarch in printed narrative art

King Arthur(Arthur Pendragon) is a legendary figure used commonly in comic books.

<i>Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob</i> American animated direct-to-video comedy film

Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob is a 2021 American direct-to-DVD animated comedy film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It is the thirty-fifth entry in the direct-to-video series of Scooby-Doo films and was released on February 23, 2021.

<i>Last Round Arthurs</i> Japanese light novel series

Last Round Arthurs is a Japanese light novel series written by Taro Hitsuji and illustrated by Kiyotaka Haimura. It was published in five volumes between July 2018 and January 2020. A manga adaptation, illustrated by Yuzuriha, was serialized in Young Ace from January 2019 to May 2020 and published on two volumes.

References

  1. Grimaldi, Francine (May 24, 1995). "La jungle de Cannes". La Presse (in French). Montreal, Quebec. p. E1. Retrieved February 19, 2019 via Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ).
  2. Umland, Rebecca A.; Umland, Samuel J. (1996). The Use of Arthurian Legend in Hollywood Film: From Connecticut Yankees to Fisher Kings. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 72. ISBN   0-313-29798-3. ISSN   0198-9871 via Google Books.
  3. Lacy, Norris J.; Ashe, Geoffrey; Ihle, Sandra Ness; Kalinke, Marianne E.; Thompson, Raymond H., eds. (2008). The New Arthurian Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 608. ISBN   978-0-8153-2303-7 via Google Books.
  4. "Les chevaliers de la table ronde des temps modernes". La Presse (in French). Montreal, Quebec. December 9, 1995. pp. C1–C2, C8. Retrieved February 19, 2019 via Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ).
  5. Delean, Paul (December 15, 1995). "Child actors excellent in Kids of the Round Table" . Montreal Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. p. C8. Retrieved February 19, 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "MEET THE 'KIDS OF THE ROUND TABLE'". The Disney Channel Magazine. Vol. 13, no. 6. December 1995 – January 1996. p. 28.
  7. Kids of the Round Table VHS. ASIN   6304165064.
  8. "Kids Of The Round Table". Amazon. 25 July 2006. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  9. Kelly, Brendan (May 18, 1995). "Kids of the Round Table – Variety". Variety. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  10. "Kids of the Round Table". ComiXology. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  11. "Kids of the Round Table". Comic Vine. Retrieved January 21, 2019.