7.1
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Merlin (2008)
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Traditional
Viewer Rating
Rating: 7.1
Overview
The unlikely friendship between Merlin, a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers, and Prince Arthur, heir to the crown of Camelot.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Bias Dimensions
Political: Leans Right
Diversity: Low
LGBTQ: Neutral
Race Swap: Yes
Overview
The unlikely friendship between Merlin, a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers, and Prince Arthur, heir to the crown of Camelot.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Traditional
Primary
The film's central narrative champions the establishment of a unified, moral kingdom under a strong, virtuous leader, emphasizing order, loyalty, and traditional values as solutions to societal chaos and injustice, aligning with conservative principles.
The movie, based on traditional interpretations of the Merlin character and Arthurian legends, features casting that aligns with historical and mythological norms, without intentional race or gender swaps. The narrative maintains a neutral or positive portrayal of traditional identities, with DEI themes not being a central focus.
Secondary
Merlin features a deeply intense and emotionally charged bond between its two male leads, Merlin and Arthur, often interpreted as having strong queer subtext. While this relationship is portrayed with dignity and unwavering loyalty, the show itself never explicitly acknowledges or explores it as romantic or queer, thus rendering its impact on LGBTQ+ themes as incidental rather than explicitly affirming or negative.
Guinevere, a major character in the Arthurian legends traditionally depicted as white, is portrayed by a Black actress in the series, constituting a race swap.
The fantasy series "Merlin" does not include any identifiable transsexual characters or themes. Its narrative focuses on traditional Arthurian legends, magic, and the coming-of-age story of its main characters, without engaging with gender identity beyond cisgender portrayals.
The show features several female characters who engage in combat, such as Morgana and Morgause. However, their victories in combat are consistently achieved through the use of magic, which is considered a superpower. Other female characters who participate in physical combat do not achieve clear, decisive victories against male opponents through skill or strength alone.
The show "Merlin" adapts characters from Arthurian legends. All major and recurring characters, such as Merlin, King Arthur, Guinevere, Morgana, and Uther, maintain their canonically established genders from the source material. No character widely known as one gender is portrayed as a different gender in the series.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.9
7.8
Critic Ratings
N/A
5.7
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