Information
Quest for Camelot is an animated feature from Warner Bros. Animation, released in 1998. It was retitled The Magic Sword in Asia and The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot in the UK. It is based off the novel The King's Damsel by Vera Chapman. It won the 1999 Golden Globe for Best Original Song - Motion Picture and was nominated for 5 other awards.
The movie is about a young girl named Kayley who wants to be a knight of the Round Table in Camelot like her father, Sir Lionel, a blind man named Garrett who wishes only to be left alone, and their quest to find Excalibur.
Sypnosis
Kayley's father, Sir Lionel, is one of the knights of the Round Table. Kayley wants to be a knight like her father and save Camelot. Tragically, Lionel is killed by the evil Baron Ruber, who wants to become king of Camelot instead of King Arthur. Ruber attacks Arthur, but Lionel takes the blow for the king, and is killed. Ruber flees Camelot after being beaten back by Excalibur. After her father's funeral, Arthur said she and her mother would be welcomed in Camelot.
After ten years, Ruber's griffin attacks Camelot and steals Excalibur. Merlin's falcon Ayden attacks the griffin and the sword falls down into the Forbidden Forest. Meanwhile, Ruber goes to Kayley's home, holds everyone hostage and uses dark magic to create steel warriors out of his human henchmen (and Bladebeak). He then takes over the village and captures Juliana, Kayley's mother. He plans to use her in order to gain entrance into Camelot.
Kayley runs away to escape the warriors and finds herself in the Forbidden Forest. Determined to find Excalibur, she winds up falling down a trap and meets Garrett, a blind hermit, and Ayden, his falcon friend. Kayley convinces him to help her find Excalibur with her. She then learns about Garrett's past: he was once a young stableboy in Camelot. The stable caught fire and he was rescuing the horses when one of them hit his head; the result made him blind. Yet Kayley's father still believed in Garrett and taught him to adapt.
They travel to Dragon Country and meet the funny two-headed dragon named Devon and Cornwall. Devon and Cornwall don't like each other, can't breathe fire or fly (which is why they are bullied by other dragons), and both want to be individual dragons. Devon and Cornwall decide to join the group; Garrett reluctantly agrees after Kayley manages to convince him.
Later, they discover that Excalibur is no longer where the Griffin dropped it. Kayley is distressed and babbles on while Garrett warns her to be quiet. Because she is talking, he cannot hear the approach of Ruber and his cronies, one of whom shoots Garrett in the side and injures him. Kayley drags Garrett away as the thornbushes grab Ruber and his men and hold them captive.
Julianna worries about Kayley as Kayley drags the fainting Garrett into a small cave. She apologizes profusely as he lays there, but he tells her it's all right, and they realize that they've fallen in love as Garrett is healed by magical forest plants.
Later, the group goes into a dark cave. In the cave lives an ogre who holds the sword Excalibur. Kayley succeeds in getting the sword, but she and Garrett get stuck in the way and the dragons have to save them.
When they arrive in Camelot, Kayley wants Garrett to go with her, but Garrett refuses. After he leaves, Ruber returns and steals the sword from Kayley. Devon and Cornwall, who see what's happening, run to Garrett for help, finally convincing Garrett to go save Kayley. By working together for the first time, Devon and Cornwall are able to fly and breathe fire.
Meanwhile, Kayley meets her mother and tries to help her escape from her ropes. Bladebeak releases her and she runs to find Ruber. Garrett finds Kayley and they go to King Arthur's castle.
In the castle, Ruber meets King Arthur and tries to kill him. Kayley and Garrett stop him and trick Ruber into returning Excalibur to its stone. A blue wave strikes Camelot. It turn the mechanical men back to normal, including Bladebeak, and destroys Ruber.
After Ruber dies, Kayley and Garrett get married and become knights of the round table. The movie ends with the happy couple riding a horse with a sign saying: "Just Knighted."
Characters
- Kayley (Jessalyn Gilsig, singing voice by Andrea Corr) the young girl who becomes a knight of the round table. She was born the day King Arthur pulled Excalibur out of the stone. She is resourceful, and headstrong almost to the point of foolishness, but very brave. Although she does have a tendency to speak before she thinks.
- Garrett (Cary Elwes, singing voice by Bryan White) he was blinded after an accident in the stables during a fire, and Kayley's father was the only one who believed in him. After the death of Sir Lionel he abandoned society and went to live in the Forbidden Forest with only Ayden for company; after meeting Kayley he learns to trust others.
- Devon & Cornwall (Eric Idle as Devon and Don Rickles as Cornwall) a two-headed dragon, they cannot fly or breathe fire, but when Kayley needs them most, they learn they can do anything if they work together.
- Baron Ruber (Gary Oldman) the fallen knight of the round table, he wants to own Excalibur and to be the king of England. Appears to have a thing for Juliana, as well as an eye tick. Is expectionally strong, taking on a dragon in hand-to-hand combat, and winning.
- Lady Juliana (Jane Seymour, singing voice by Cιline Dion) Kayley's mother and the wife of Sir Lionel.
- King Arthur (Pierce Brosnan, singing voice by Steve Perry) the king of England, who resides in Camelot.
- Sir Lionel (Gabriel Byrne) Kayley's father, he is murdered by Baron Ruber. He was King Arthur's most trusted knight.
- Bladebeak (Jaleel White) A strange mixture of chicken and axe.
- The Griffin (Bronson Pinchot) Ruber's pet griffin. Is surprisingly well-mannered for a terrifying mythological beast.
- Ayden (Frank Welker) Merlin's pet falcon with silver wings, he works with Garrett and uses his manoeuvrability to out-wing the larger Griffin.
Reception
This movie received mostly negative reviews. It was criticized for being too bland and mostly a Disney-type rip-off movie. At the box-office, this movie did not do well either. Making $6,041,602 on its opening weekend, the film made $22,717,758 during its theatrical run (on a $40 million budget), it was largely overshawdoed by the release of Disney's Mulan.
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