Review: 'Camelot' Tries to Find Magic in Arthurian Tales

Filed under: Reality-Free, Stay Tuned

'Camelot' (10PM ET Friday, Starz) a new retelling of the ancient Arthurian myths, makes some smart choices.

In a terrific performance, Jamie Campbell Bower makes Arthur seem both naive and impetuous, and Joseph Fiennes' Merlin doesn't go in for magical solutions; he's more a political operative consciously building a myth around the untested Arthur as ancient Britain threatens to descend into tribal anarchy. There's even a clever take on sword-in-the-stone tale.

Yet there are some tonal clashes within this handsome series, and there's an unfortunate stop-start quality to 'Camelot's' momentum. The first couple of episodes of the Starz drama have a relatively brisk pace, but the third one has elements of mawkish soapiness that slow down the action considerably.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.tvsquad.com/2011/04/01/camelot-retells-arthurian-tales-starz/

Alice Dodd Alicia Keys Alicia Witt Amanda Bynes Amanda Detmer