Post by FilmFlaneur on May 8, 2017 10:48:10 GMT
King Edwin, ruler of a medieval-like Kingdom is assassinated by his brother and regent, Bragan, who has sold his soul to the devil, Kwodahn. The murder is witnessed by Prince Erwann who carries out the dying King's final orders; to take Xcalibur and hide it in a safe place. After hiding the sword, Kwodahn curses Erwann, turning him to stone. Erwann's feisty teenage daughter, Princess Djana befriends Herik, a young apprentice of the exiled Shogis, a sect of sorcerers, who has been entrusted with the Book of Life, the collected knowledge of the Shogis. Together, they retrieve Xcalibur, however upon reaching the Royal Palace, they learn Bragan has taken control of the Kingdom as regent to Arthus, the 10-year-old sovereign, too young to rule himself, and confiscated Prince Erwann's lands as his own, falsely branding him as the assassin.
Unable to convince the lords or Arthus that Bragan is a traitor, Djana goes on the run with Herik, Tara - a member of the People of the Sea, often referred to as Barbarians - and Wip, a small dragon, and are branded outlaws by Bragan. Djana's resistance to Bragan's alliance with Kwodahn sparks a rebellion in the kingdom, assisted by the people of the villages of Mallory and Quinn, and (later), secretly assisted by Prince Duncan, one of the lords of the Kingdom. [Wiki]
Although the series has the weakness of much relatively early computer animation (relatively few active characters on screen at the same time, and smooth environments etc) it is still worth a look if you like this sort of thing. Much of the landscape looks as if it was inspired by the seascapes of the South of France, while the story itself has distinct Arthurian echoes as one might expect, but there are some interesting twists and additions. I still think the world created in Xcalibur is, in its own way, very aesthetically pleasing. I once held a conversation with actor Tom Eastwood who plays the chief villain, and remember that he told me that he was instructed to overplay his part, which explains why his Bragan appears such a parody, but entertaining none the less.