#33 We just watched this on Netflix streaming:

The Film: The First Knight

I sometimes can’t part my love of a genre film from the reality that it might be a bad movie. This is the case with The First Knight. It might be a bad movie, I don’t know exactly. I’m blinded by my love for Sword and Sorcery movies. I can’t help it.

The First Knight is another story of Camelot, King Arthur, and Lancelot. It follows a more bizarre version of the story, which builds on the love triangle between King Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere. The story is very Twilightesque in its poor balancing of actual sexual tension and manufactured tension. There is a lot of staring and a lot of commitment conversations. All of this is problematic. I let it go – you may not.

Why to watch it: A King Arthur story is always worth watching

The best version of the King Arthur story is Excalibur. Flame on – because I know people will disagree. Moreover, The First Knight is kind of just a fun little sword fighting movie. It is stuck between whether or not it wants to be a great sword and knight movie or a evocative love tale.

Imagine the cheesiest version of King Arthur you could possibly imagine and ratchet it up a few notches due to good performances and design. The movie is about an interesting idea: How is it that Guinevere would come to cheat on Arthur? What would have to happen? Why?

Well, it is a cool idea, but taken in the context of the film’s aesthetics and light-hearted appeal. It is just a bit awkward at times.

Pay attention to this: Sean Connery as King Arthur

When I was young, medieval England fascinated me. The kings, the serfs, the whole dark ages were fucking insane.  Moreover, King Arthur kind of embodies everything that needed to exist in that period, but didn’t: Brotherhood, love, justice, and honor. All that good shit is so perfectly streamlined through Connery’s performance.

What is even better is some of the moments in The First Knight are a bit corny, but are raised to the level of appealing by Connery’s ability to act above the material. It all works pretty well. One of the problems is that he actually acts so well that is almost makes the appeal of Lancelot seem impossible…but that is just my opinion.

-Collin.