Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
This finds camelot in vulnerable disarray since the theft of the holy grail. Now the only one who can find the grail & restore camelots glory is an irascible young beggar-thief who discovers magic within himself. Studio: Platinum Disc Llc Release Date: 01/29/2008 Starring: Sam Neill John Reardon Run time: 185 minutes

Amazon.com:
A fanciful sequel to the successful 1998 miniseries Merlin, this 2005 multi-part series benefits greatly from Sam Neill's return performance as the legendary wizard. Taking place some 50 years after the first film, Merlin's Apprentice partners the magician with a young thief with untapped magic powers of his own (engaging Canadian actor John Reardon) in a quest to recover the lost Holy Grail, which holds the key to Camelot's protection and survival. Miranda Richardson, who enlivened the '98 production as the ferocious Queen Mab, also returns to provide some necessary drama as the Lady in the Lake. Solid production values (bolstered by the lovely Vancouver locations), confident direction by Hong Kong veteran David Wu (Bride with White Hair 2), and an abundance of fantasy-action make this a worthwhile adventure for fans of the first miniseries and sword-and-sorcery features in general. --Paul Gaita

Rating : - Not Really a Sequel
I enjoyed the original Merlin miniseries, despite the liberties taken with the Arthurian legend. It benefited greatly from Sam Neill's gentle charm and good acting as well as having a colorful and engaging supporting cast. Unfortunately, Merlin's Apprentice pretty much introduced a new cast of characters and used so little of the two characters that were kept, Merlin and the lady of the lake, that this could hardly be considered a sequel.

Putting aside the fact that this is really a production unrelated to its predecessor, there are other serious problems with the storyline. One is that the pacing is awkward. The story isn't told in a manner which engages the viewer. There is a relentless march of misery and hardship for the characters with little pay-off at the end. In fact, the ending is the equivalent of a reset button so the characters really don't do much except complain, fight, suffer, and die.

Another part of the problem is that the outcome for some of the characters is too sudden and lacks explanation. I won't put a spoiler in this review, but I will say that one character seems to take a 180 degree turn at the 11th hour. Also, the lady of the lake was a positive character in the original miniseries and suddenly she has become a villain for no reason in this one. Would it have cost so much to explain why she started out benevolent, but turned evil? The fact that there was a ripe explanation available because of the ending of the original miniseries (revenge for her sister's demise) made it all the more of a waste not to provide some sort of motive for her change in direction.

This isn't a total disaster, but it's also not very compelling. Certainly Sam Neill's and Miranda Richardson are good to see in their roles, but there isn't enough of them to make up for the shortcomings of this production.