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First Knight (1995)
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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
Spectacular entertainment with a king-sized serving of romance and ritual.
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.
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.
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.
...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.
There's swordplay to the hilt, but the story itself never quite gets in Gere.
Bad acting, dumb dialogue, and confusing cinematography abound, creating one of the most shoddy Camelot stories to date.
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.
[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.
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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