Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- romantic
- heroic
- swashbuckling
- weekend adventure
- nostalgic movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film polished and entertaining as medieval romantic adventure, while considering its screenplay and departures from Arthurian tradition uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lancelot begins as a free-living peasant and becomes entangled in Camelot's royal power structure through his rescue of Guinevere.
Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot form the film's central triangle, with loyalty to Camelot colliding with mutual attraction.
Camelot, armored knights, castle spaces, sword fights, and battles are staged as grand Hollywood adventure imagery.
Arthur's peace-and-justice kingdom is directly challenged by Malagant's bid to depose him and seize Camelot.
Films like First Knight, and why
robin hood: prince of thieves
shared medieval adventure setting, chivalric romance, political conflict, and legendary heroism
excalibur
shared arthurian mythology, romantic entanglements, knights, and heightened period adventure
braveheart
shared medieval warfare, heroic rebellion, sweeping romance, and polished historical spectacle
robin and marian
shared knightly combat, courtly romance, betrayal, and idealized medieval drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Jerry Zucker
- Release Date
- 1995-07-07
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (1377)
Cast
- Sean Connery
- Richard Gere
- Julia Ormond
- Ben Cross
- Liam Cunningham
- Christopher Villiers
- Valentine Pelka
- Colin McCormack
- Ralph Ineson
- John Gielgud
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is First Knight about?
- A fearless wandering swordsman enters Camelot and risks loyalty, love, and life to protect Guinevere from a power-hungry knight.
- What is First Knight like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of First Knight as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is First Knight violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in First Knight as moderate.
- What did critics think of First Knight?
- Critics generally found the film polished and entertaining as medieval romantic adventure, while considering its screenplay and departures from Arthurian tradition uneven.
- Which films are like First Knight?
- Films with a similar feel include robin hood: prince of thieves, excalibur, braveheart, and robin and marian.
- How long is First Knight?
- First Knight runs 134 minutes.
- Where can I watch First Knight?
- In United States, First Knight streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
