The Sword in the Stone

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The Sword in the Stone

G

1963

1h 20m

Kids & Family

Fantasy

Animation

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Popcornmeter

64%

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28 Reviews

73%

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100,000+ Ratings

This Disney adaptation of the classic fable chronicles King Arthur's humble beginnings. As an orphaned child, Arthur, who was then known as Wart, wants to help his foster brother, Kay, succeed in becoming a knight. While helping Kay train, Wart stumbles upon a cabin belonging to Merlin, a bumbling but talented wizard. Merlin does his best to convince the boy that he is bound for greatness, and when Wart and Kay travel to London to attend a jousting contest, they learn that Merlin was right.

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Critics Consensus

A decent take on the legend of King Arthur, The Sword in the Stone suffers from relatively indifferent animation, but its characters are still memorable and appealing.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 29, 2010

4/5

Delightful classic brings Arthur legend to life.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Nov 3, 2009

There is still some life in the characterizations, though the animation is turning stiff and flat.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

The feature-length cartoon demonstrates anew the magic of the Disney animators and imagination in character creation.

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Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

Dec 23, 2023

While Disney has had some misses, few are as obvious and consistent as The Sword in the Stone.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Oct 5, 2023

3/4

Those who enjoy Disney animation, as I do (I have all but seven of Disney’s animated features on video cassette), may take special liking to this feature with its crazy villainess, but may feel a bit let down in the plot area.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Sep 8, 2023

2/4

Aside from the owl Archimedes, none of the characters make any impression whatsoever.

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Teddy B

@RT90521672 5 days ago

A faithful adaptation of a dull, if conceptually interesting, novel. Carries with it the strengths of solid dialogue, and a snug atmosphere. Also carries issues of pacing, lack of invention or subversion, with no real good reason to exist, much less be translated into animated form.

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MC R

@RT91491190 Sep 22, 2026

I decided to watch this classic Disney movie. One of the thousend King Arthur adaption, but then from Disney in animation. It's a fun movie though. Loved the owl and the kitchen scene with the plates. As a kid I always loved that! The fish and the squirel scene were fun to! The wizard dual was unnecessary though.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 6, 2026

The Sword in the stone equals * 3 and 1/2* Movie

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Tyler S

@tylerking24 Aug 27, 2026

That honestly was kinda weird. Like it felt every time I knew where we were going, they'd change things up. I just wish we had a little more consistency.

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Joel H

@786Joel Jul 25, 2026

When I was a kid, most of the big Disney animated productions were "girl movies," so I was thrilled to have a "boy movie" like The Sword in the Stone. I wonder if the reason I’m fascinated by Arthurian legend is partly because I watched this film so many times growing up. I love the sequences of Wart being transformed into different animals, and the wizard’s duel between Merlin and Madam Mim is one of my favorite animated sequences of all time. The different scenes can feel a little disjointed at times, and Arthur’s voice changes are somewhat distracting, but hail, King Arthur! Long live the king!

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 10, 2026

A obra exalta o puro charme e a excentricidade característicos do estúdio, mesmo sob restrições orçamentárias. Em vez de uma narrativa épica e densa sobre o Rei Artur, a Disney preferiu focar a infância de "Wart" em formato de comédia de fantasia, embora o ritmo seja um pouco fragmentado.

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Wolfgang Reitherman

Director

Sebastian Cabot

Sir Ector

Rickie Sorensen

Wart

Alan Napier

Sir Pelinore

Karl Swenson

Merlin

Norman Alden

Sir Kay

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Synopsis

This Disney adaptation of the classic fable chronicles King Arthur's humble beginnings. As an orphaned child, Arthur, who was then known as Wart, wants to help his foster brother, Kay, succeed in becoming a knight. While helping Kay train, Wart stumbles upon a cabin belonging to Merlin, a bumbling but talented wizard. Merlin does his best to convince the boy that he is bound for greatness, and when Wart and Kay travel to London to attend a jousting contest, they learn that Merlin was right.

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Producer: Walt Disney
Screenwriter: Bill Peet
Distributor: Buena Vista Distribution Co. Inc.
Production Co: Walt Disney Productions, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1963, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 23, 2013
Runtime: 1h 20m

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