First Knight

A movie that uses the King Arthur mythology as set up with great actors but cant deliver. I admit that they want to try something different as there is no Merlin, Morgan le Fay, the Grail, Sir Gawain (Did I miss him?), the Lady of the Lake and others (Bold but also bad choice in hindsight). I think they wanted a more realistic approach which is brave but I think it hurt in the end. This is partly caused by the acting and partly because you always compare the characters to their counterparts from legend. For example the Lancelot from the movie is a pale version to the legendary Sir Lancelot who is such a deep, tragic and noble character. Story: Prince Malagant who is based of a real but unknown (or more unpopular) figure from Arthurian legends a former knight of the round-table is at war with King Arthur. Meanwhile Lancelot a vagabond travels through the lands and saves lady Guinevere (Not Queen!) from an ambush. From here on starts the story. I think the story could work but it is foreseeable and nothing original or breathtaking enough to overcome its weaknesses. The acting is not good or an underperformance (except Sean Connery). I don't know if it is a fault of the script, directing or actors. For itself there are great actors. Sean Connery fully delivers as King Arthur. Richard Gere who is an excellent actor could not win me over. Same goes for Julia Ormont. She is a great actress but cant shine here. Without Ben Cross as as Malagant it would be even worse. He plays an enjoyable villain (but also a bit of a stereotype). The cast did not win we over but it is also not a complete train wreck. To summarize it it lacks the emotions, impact and immersion of the legend of King Arthur (or pales in comparison). Also nearly everyone has seen the characters better used in other media or movies. If you use established characters there is a higher benchmark. You have to deliver or make something unique or (positively) outstanding to win the audience over. Visually the movie and sets are appealing but also other movies set higher standards. Overall this movie is a disappointment but it is watchable. You will forget that this movie existed shortly after watching.