Whoopi Goldberg has made her fortune playing offbeat, hilarious characters sympathetic to humankind. From the instinctive styles of The Associate to a foot-tapping mafia girl in Sister Act and finally to a smart-mouthed scientist in this modern retelling of "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," Whoopi never fails to evoke a laugh. And this time is no different. 

Vivien (Whoopi) is convinced that she knows the solution to creating a non-gravitation devise but when she hikes up the power, something goes wrong and sends her reeling into the land of knights and King Arthur. Captured by Sir Sagramour and taken to the King's Court, Vivien is deemed an "ogre" and will be burned at the stake at the advice of Merlin. However, managing to retain her laptop from the page who momentarily stole it, Vivien is able to predict an eclipse and thus convince King Arthur and his knights that she is an enchantress. Naturally this gains her more respectability amongst the people of Camelot, but as she learns the truth of middle-age life she finds a great deal to be desired. Unfortunately, Merlin (Ian Richardson) does not appreciate her ideas of how to "modernize" Camelot, Queen Guenevere (Amanda Donahoe) loathes her, and her only confident is her page, Clarence. Can Vivien, how deemed "Sir Boss" by the court, win over King Arthur's favor and transform Camelot into all that it was destined to be? Or will her "modern ideas" be severely shaken by tragedy?

This is a great film produced for The Magical World of Disney. Whoopi, as always, is in top form and will keep you howling throughout the two-hour running time. It borrows a few "it's been done before" moments that give viewers deja vu but is pretty much smooth sailing, with a few new ideas, modern twists, and unexpected surprises. They cater to both age groups with the more mature themes and yet cartoonish antics of the characters, and only the older kids will catch all the quips. The film's nature tends toward comedy but its message is one of warmth in the fact that it supports freedom, friendship, and forgiveness. One of the characters gives up his right for revenge in favor of justice. King Arthur questions himself and ultimately becomes a stronger king; forgiving Lancelot and Guenevere for their often straying eyes. Even Merlin will surprise you. However, there are a few cautions... insinuations of something going on between the queen and favored knight. (She does refute Lancelot's kiss, saying "If I kissed you once, I should never stop.") In the end you get the feeling that both will do what is right and remain faithful to Arthur.