Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Spend A Night With "First Knight", September 6, 2004
This review refers to the DVD edition(Columbia/TriStar) of "First Knight"....
I was one of those who also thought that Connery and Gere were TOO OLD to play their respective parts of Arthur and Lancelot in this film. Then I viewed the film. All thoughts of miscasting went out of my head, as I just kicked backed and enjoyed this highly entertaining and captivating story. The three major stars in this film, including Julia Ormond("Sabrina"), as Guinevere, had a wonderful on screen chemistry with each other, the scenery was beautiful, the costumes delightful, the romance enchanting, the battle scenes heartpumping, and the music(Jerry Goldsmith) haunting and thrilling.
Young Lady Guinevere is about to be married to the wonderful King Arthur and she will take her new place as Queen in the beautiful land of Camelot. It's a time of happiness for all. But there's trouble amiss, just as the Knights of the Round Table are pledging their undying loyalty to the new Queen, Malagant, an ex Knight who wants to rule the land, is spreading terror and destruction, and is about to envoke his wrath on the people and the home of Guinevere, her beloved Leonesse. Enter Lancelot, newest member of the Round table(having already saved Lady G twice) to the rescue, who will now lead the Knights in battle against the evil Malagant.And then there's the battle for the lovely lady herself....
The performances were touching, as Guinevere and Lancelot form a deep love for each other, but love their King as well. Ben Cross("Chariots of Fire"), is simply evil as Malagant and the illustrious Sir John Gielgud adds his wonderful talents as well.
The DVD presents a beautifully clear picture, with rich colors. It may be viewed in widescreen or full screen.The sounds of the era and the music are excellent. You have the choice of DD5.1 or stereo. Languages include English, Spanish and French with subtitles in Spanish and Korean, but there are no subtitles or captions in English for those who may need them(what's up with that?)
If you're looking for something that stays truer to the classic story, go with "Excalibur", It's a breathtaking and artfully directed film. However, "Excalibur" may not be suited for everyone. The violence is quite a bit more graphic then "First Knight" and there are sexual scenes as well. This one may be better suited for teens, but may be enjoyed for the pure entertainment value as well.
Get the popcorn ready and enjoy....Laurie
for a look at early sean connery:
Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie
A Bridge Too Far
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A marvelous interpretation of the Arthurian Legand!, February 13, 1999
By A Customer
I am 15 years old, and I just love this movie. "First Knight" ranks up on the list with the musical "Camelot" and Disney's "The Sword and the Stone" as a magnificent telling of the Camelot legend, and may in fact surpass these other two movies in excellance. Creative license was taken so that the "accurate" legend is not portrayed, but the charcters stay true to the story and the affect is nothing short of amazing. Lady Guinevere of Leonesse (sic?) is on her way to marry King Arthur of Camelot when she inadvertantly meets Lancelot, a very cocky mersonary whose arrogant ways hide a dark childhood. Although attempting to stay loyal to her King, Guinevere is twice saved by Lancelot (although she did a good deal of the work to escape herself) and finds herself falling in love with him. To complicate the problem, the evil Prince Malagant is determined to take over both Leonesse and Camelot. Tension builds to a stunning climax, a shocking ending, and a glorious conclusion. ----- This movie is filled with both heart-pounding action cues of suspense and heart-rending conversations of real people. Richard Gere portrays Lancelot beautifully, giving him a self-assured pride and arrogance that later reveal to be merely a cover-up to the pain he experienced as a child. Although I have heard complaints that Gere is too American for the part, he added a dimension to Lancelot's personality that few others could top. There is a chiling reason for his cockiness, and it makes him seem more human. Julia Ormond gives Guinevere beauty, but also independance. She is quite able to handle herself, and is one of the few "damsels-in-distress" that haven't gotten on my nerves by their helplessness. Because this Guinevere is anything but helpless! Guinevere is torn apart by her love for two men, and Ormond portrays it excellently, allowing you to see into Guinevere's soul and find the pain she is going through. Ben Cross as the terrible Malagant is perfect. He is wicked, cruel, selfish, and disgusting; the perfect villian! Not every actor/actress can play a villian so well. Great job! And what can I say about Sean Connery as King Arthur? This was the first movie I saw him in after I saw the film "DragonHeart", in which Connery played the voice of the dragon. Perfectly cast in that movie, perfectly cast in this, Connery gives King Arthur boundless dignity, wisdom, and heart, but he also gives him a human side; vulnerable and not always quite sure what to do next. This is probably the most realistic portrayal of Arthur, and you can't help but have your heart go out to him. ----- The music, the diolodge, and the wonderful acting make "First Knight" such a great movie. For anyone who loves the Arthurian Legend, or simply a story of regular people with lots of heart, see this movie. As the song goes, "It will not be forgot that once there was a spot for once brief, shining moment that was known as Camelot!"
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Last Knight, December 23, 1999
Forget Jerry Goldsmith's music punctuating every raised eyebrow. Ignore Julia Ormond's ability to play two emotions: earnestness and confused earnestness. First Knight is a crashing bore. It insults its audience with the weakest dialogue this side of Camelot. "I want you; you want me," says Lance. I couldn't tell if these two were medieval lovers stating their passion or it was day two of Woodstock. Worst of all, this isn't the King Arthur of Morte D' Arthur. It's not even the King Arthur of the musical Camelot. You'll find no Merlin, excalibur, or Holy Grail inside these city walls. The grand mythology of Arthurian legend is stripped to the barest of bones. This isn't First Knight; it's knight of the living dead with more frightening results.
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