Common Sense Media Review
Delightful classic brings King Arthur legend to life.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Sword in the Stone
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 21 parent reviews
Parents say this film has a mix of appealing elements and notable flaws. While younger children enjoy the entertaining moments and imaginative themes, many parents express concern over the portrayal of character dynamics, including name-calling and some questionable depictions of romantic interactions among animals that may not be suitable for all audiences.
- child-friendly fun
- mixed reviews
- questionable dynamics
- entertaining for kids
- slower pacing
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 10 kid reviews
What's the Story?
Based on the book The Once and Future King by T.H. White, THE SWORD IN THE STONE is the story of the early years of King Arthur. Nicknamed "Wart," the future King Arthur is squire to a knight when he meets Merlin the magician, who promises to take on his education. Merlin turns him into a fish, a bird, and a squirrel to teach him lessons like the importance of brains over brawn. He gets to see this in action when Madame Mim, Merlin's enemy, challenges Merlin to a duel by magic, and, though she cheats, Merlin is able to defeat her. Wart still has his duties as a squire, and, having forgotten the sword for a jousting match, he runs to get it. He sees a sword stuck in a stone and pulls it out, not knowing the legend that whoever will pull the sword out of the stone will be the rightful king. He becomes King Arthur, and listens when Merlin reminds him that knowledge is the real power.
Is It Any Good?
The Arthur legend has fascinated people for centuries, and this story about Arthur's childhood has special appeal for children. Aside from the fun of seeing what it's like to be a bird, a squirrel, or a fish, and from having your very own wizard as a teacher, there's the highly satisfying aspect of having one's worth, unappreciated by everyone, affirmed so unequivocally.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what made Arthur the one who could pull the sword out of the stone in The Sword in the Stone. How does this compare to other versions of the King Arthur story you might have heard/seen/read?
What does Wart learn from his adventures with Merlin? What role does courage play? Why is that an important character strength?
How did Madame Mim cheat? How did Merlin fight back when she did?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 25, 1963
- On DVD or streaming : June 16, 2008
- Cast : Karl Swenson , Norman Alden , Rickie Sorensen
- Director : Wolfgang Reitherman
- Studio : Walt Disney Pictures
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Book Characters
- Character Strengths : Courage
- Run time : 79 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate