...lushly romantic, almost quaint...
First Knight (1995)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:41
Fresh:18
Rotten:23
Average Rating:5.1/10
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
Reviews for First Knight
Bad acting, dumb dialogue, and confusing cinematography abound, creating one of the most shoddy Camelot stories to date.
Spectacular entertainment with a king-sized serving of romance and ritual.
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.
The out-of-place [Richard] Gere doesn't do justice to the fine performance of [Julia] Ormond.
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.
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.
...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.
Pillaged of such mainstays as Merlin and Morgan le Fay—as well as magic, majesty and depth—'Camelot' has become 'Camelite.'
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.
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.
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.
[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.
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.
Whenever Zucker stops piling on battle scenes as if he were directing Braveheart, his film casts a romantic spell.
The problem for him[Gere], and the film, comes when the non-physical acting begins.
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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