Siege of the Saxons Reviews

Dignam, the noted King of Camelot, becomes ill during his 20th year on the throne and heads off to Howard's castle to recover. Unbeknown to Dignam, Howard is involved with the Saxons, a group that wants to overthrow the King and kill him. Lewis, a Robin Hood-type outlaw, initially stops them from killing Dignam, but they eventually succeed. Howard tries to complete his takeover by marrying the King's daughter, Scott, but she runs off with Lewis. Howard announces that Scott has died and that he is now King. Meanwhile, Lewis and Scott seek out the ancient wizard Merlin, played by Laurie. Together they form a trio that interrupts Howard's coronation, after which Laurie challenges Howard to remove the king's sword Excalibur from its scabbard. He fails, but Scott succeeds and becomes the rightful heir to the throne. Howard runs off with the Saxons, but all of the English armies unite to crush the rebellion, leaving Scott free to rule in peace. She knights Lewis, and all ends happily. SIEGE OF THE SAXONS freely mixes the legends of Arthur, Robin Hood, and comic book esthetics in this cliche-ridden but fun film version of an oft told story. The direction is effective, and the acting is well-done.