Merlin – The Complete First Season DVD Review And Giveaway

When I originally reviewed the series Merlin, I had hopes for the show. Though it didn't fare very well in the ratings, the show pretty well lived up to my expectations for a light, slightly goofy, bit of adventure. The talking dragons, and curious use of magic may have thrown some viewers off, but the unique idea and solid acting (all things considered) worked quite well for this guilty pleasure's first season.

The complete first season is now available on DVD, and the loaded release is a solid choice for anyone willing to take a shot at a new spin on Arthurian legend.

Billed to some degree as similar in theory to what Smallville did for Superman (which leaves you to make what you will of the comparison), Merlin aims at a fresh spin, with a young Merlin trying to make his way in a strange (to our Arthurian ideas) world where magic is outlawed, and he had better help Arthur become King... according to a dragon.

In a time before history began, the mythical city of Camelot was a fantastical realm and a dangerous world in which magic has been banned by the ruthless tyrant Uther Pendragon. When Merlin, a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers, arrives in the kingdom, he discovers his destiny and that of the kingdom's young leader in waiting, Arthur, are inextricably linked.

DVD Features

Considering the show's performance on NBC, this is a pretty spectacular DVD release. While you won't find anything that's outside the standard fare of bonus material, you get a lot of it, and what you get is quite good.

There are 7 episodes with commentary tracks, and there is a good mix involved in, and they're actually quite interesting.

"The Dragon's Call" - commentary by: producers Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps

"Valiant" - commentary by: Angel Coulby (Gwen) and Bradley James (Arthur)

"Lancelot" - commentary by: Johnny Capps and Director Ed Fraiman

"The Gates of Avalon" - commentary by: Bradley James, Anthony Head (Uther), and Director Jeremy Webb

"The Beginning of the End" - commentary by: Colin Morgan (Merlin), Angel Coulby, Katie McGrath (Morgana), and Jeremy Webb

"Excalibur" - commentary by: Colin Morgan, Angel Coulby, Richard Wilson (Gaius), and Jeremy Webb

"The Moment of Truth" - commentary by: Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Angel Coulby, and Katie McGrath

The commentaries cover a nice spectrum of episodes, and they are definitely worth watching for anyone with even a passing interest in the show. The ones that include the cast are markedly more entertaining, but they're all better than the usual effort of TV show commentaries. It's a good cast and crew, and for all that the show may be a little on the goofy side, it's a huge project. That comes through in these tracks, and you get a good mix of fun and insight.

Particularly good are the tracks with Colin Morgan. If the other bonus features are to be believed, he's a pretty solid young man, who handled the filming with a great deal of maturity, and the commentary tracks give you no reason to doubt such an assessment.

While commentaries are all the rage, I rarely find that more than one or two in a television season actually provide much value, but these are all a treat.

Also included in the release is Behind the Magic, a featurette in two parts which is, obviously, a behind-the-scenes affair. Each part is just about an even thirty minutes, and these are rather better than what you expect as well. They give the impression of being comprised of footage created just for the featurette, mixed with a good deal of "accidental" film. Interviews, behind-the-scenes film, and a bit of what might have been people's video diaries, or who knows what, and it's all given to you with an eye to the target audience, and a theory of making such things enjoyable to watch. At an hour long, it better be.

This is an especially good show to look behind-the-scenes actually, because the production is quite a bit different than what you'll usually see in a television series. A castle in France is rather different than a studio lot, and watching actors go at CGI monsters is rather fun.

You also get a small featurette (about 15 minutes), The Black Knight, which details some of the more trying scenes involving that character. It may all seem easy when you're watching it on TV, but certain things are still pretty difficult, even in the age of incredible special effects. Getting a horse to cooperate isn't always easy at the best of times, but when you want him to jump through things, and walk down the aisle of a crowded, confined room of a castle, it's a fun day of shooting.

Rounding things out, you'll also get three video diaries, which are about fifteen minutes each, and are fairly decent as such things go. For the most part, Colin Morgan gives you little bits of his day during filming. You've also got some wallpapers and a photo gallery.

Ultimately, it's an impressive release, and while there may not be a lot of flash to the bonuses, there is a good deal of substance that fans and newcomers will enjoy.

Own it on DVD today!

Win it!

Leave a comment below, and you are automatically entered to win your very own copy of the DVD release. U.S. only. Winner will be randomly selected on May 15th.

Enjoy a few clips below.

Warning

Ulterior Motives

Merlin Hears a Calling

RU?

© 2010, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

Twitter | Facebook | More Posts (1450)