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Movies / Upcoming / First Knight
First Knight

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First Knight (1995)

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44 %
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Reviews Counted:41

Fresh:18

Rotten:23

Average Rating:5.1/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: On the way to meet King Arthur, her future husband and ally, Lady Guenevere and her retinue are attacked by Arthur's mortal enemy, the malicious Malagant. Prince Malagant wants possession of... On the way to meet King Arthur, her future husband and ally, Lady Guenevere and her retinue are attacked by Arthur's mortal enemy, the malicious Malagant. Prince Malagant wants possession of Guinevere's land, which lies between Arthur's kingdom and his own. However, the daring Lancelot intercedes and foils the attack. In return, this roaming-sword-for-hire asks for a kiss from the lovely Lady -- a request that Guinevere coldly refuses. They meet again when Lancelot turns up at one of Camelot's public tournaments, and proves to Arthur that he deserves to become the King's first knight. So when Malagant strikes again, kidnapping Queen Guinevere, Lancelot once more serves as her rescuer. But now, Guinevere's reaction is no longer chilly -- and the two proceed to fall in love, betraying Arthur's trust and friendship. [More]

Starring: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond, Ben Cross

Starring: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond, Ben Cross, John Gielgud

Director: Jerry Zucker

Director: Jerry Zucker

[See More Credits]

Reviews for First Knight

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

...lushly romantic, almost quaint...

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
01/01/00
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee

Bad acting, dumb dialogue, and confusing cinematography abound, creating one of the most shoddy Camelot stories to date.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Spectacular entertainment with a king-sized serving of romance and ritual.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
08/30/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Goes for a pass as a shallow but occasionally rousing swordfighting flick with a handful of thoughtful scenes...has something those other pictures don't have: Sean Connery as King Arthur.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
04/21/08
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

The out-of-place [Richard] Gere doesn't do justice to the fine performance of [Julia] Ormond.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
08/07/04
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

The movie is entertaining enough in its own way, and Sean Connery makes a splendid King Arthur, but compared with the earlier films[Rob Roy and Braveheart] this one seems thin and unconvincing.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There's something sick about a Camelot movie in which the point of the great Arthur's death is to bring the lovers together in a guilt-free union.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

...a handsome, entertaining twist on the King Arthur legend...

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Edward Guthmann
Edward Guthmann
San Francisco Chronicle

...has so many wild cliffhanger situations that you may expect the film's action to stop at some point as 'To Be Continued . . . ' pops up on the screen.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Braveheart and Rob Roy told the story better.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christine James
Christine James
Boxoffice Magazine

Pillaged of such mainstays as Merlin and Morgan le Fay—as well as magic, majesty and depth—'Camelot' has become 'Camelite.'

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rita Kempley
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With guys like Connery and Gere as your heroes, you don't need cheap tricks. First Knight is just slightly second rate as a result.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

Director Zucker is unsuccessful in trying to put a fresh angle on the familiar story, and he is not much helped by his romantic leads, Richard Gere and Julia Ormond.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
08/16/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Aside from casting Richard Gere as Lancelot, First Knight marches out as an agreeably intelligent, mature and well-mounted telling of the legendary King Arthur story.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
02/13/01
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...lots of action and chivalrous pomp, but no magic.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Sean Means
Sean Means
Film.com

[E]very era has the right--maybe even the duty--to reinvent the Arthurian legend according to its lights, and so there is something instructive and entertaining about this version.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine

...First Knight has all the elements of a crowd-pleaser.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
01/01/00
Barbara Shulgasser
Barbara Shulgasser
San Francisco Examiner

I've never seen a film -- whether it was based on a book, a play, or in this case a timeless legend -- treat its source material with such cavalier disregard.

comment Comment
01/01/00
John Teegarden
John Teegarden
Film.com

Whenever Zucker stops piling on battle scenes as if he were directing Braveheart, his film casts a romantic spell.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
05/12/01
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

The problem for him[Gere], and the film, comes when the non-physical acting begins.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
02/13/01
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for First Knight

November 11, 2005: Sean Connery Earns AFI's Highest Honor
Thanks to ComingSoon.net for sharing a press release from the American Film Institute: Sir Sean Connery has been selected by the American Film Institute's (AFI) Board of... More...

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