History YMMV / FirstKnight

** Even at the time, several critics singled out [[spoiler:Malagant's line "Nobody move or Arthur dies!"]] as laying on the modern touch a bit too much, [[spoiler:not helped by Malagant's men wielding pistol-like mini-crossbows exactly like handguns as they surround and aim at Arthur. They do use these crossbows for the entire movie, but this scene feels distinctly modern]].

** The next Arthurian film to hit cinemas just three years later was ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot''. It has a similarly very blue color scheme for Arthur and Camelot while going to the opposite extreme with magical and fantastical elements. While ''First Knight'' has a stark lack of magic, going for a semblance of realism, ''Quest for Camelot'' has stuff like a talking two-headed dragon, a gryphon, a whole magical forest with sentient plants, men transformed into medieval cyborgs through sorcery, Excalibur magically knocking back someone several feet with just a parry... Even granting that one is live action and one is animated, watching the two back to back can feel like one is a bizarro-world version of the other. And on more minor notes, both feature Creator/JohnGielgud in a minor role, and a Film/JamesBond actor as Arthur (in the latter case, Creator/PierceBrosnan).[[note]]''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'' came earlier, one year after ''First Knight'', but the Arthurian connection is less direct. Although it has both Creator/SeanConnery and Gielgud too.[[/note]]
** A later [[Film/KingArthur2004 Arthur]], Creator/CliveOwen, later did a movie called ''Film/LastKnights'', oddly bookending the title of this one - though it's really less of an Arthurian movie than it is a take on UsefulNotes/The47Ronin, Western medieval-style.

* {{Narm}}: Now it can look very cute and naive, when the main characters of the film behave too democratically and liberally, which was fashionable to portray during the release of the film, but it was absolutely impossible in the Middle Ages. (There are academic studies discussing this as an important element in the "Americanization" of the Arthurian legends, as also seen in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone''.)
* RetroactiveRecognition: A young Creator/AlexisDenisof, Creator/LiamCunningham, and ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' actor Valentine Pelka appear as three of Arthur’s knights.

* HilariousInHindsight: The next Arthurian film to hit cinemas just three years later was ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot''. It has a similarly very blue color scheme for Arthur and Camelot while going to the opposite extreme with magical and fantastical elements. While ''First Knight'' has a stark lack of magic, going for a semblance of realism, ''Quest for Camelot'' has stuff like a talking two-headed dragon, a gryphon, a whole magical forest with sentient plants, men transformed into medieval cyborgs through sorcery, Excalibur magically knocking back someone several feet with just a parry... Even granting that one is live action and one is animated, watching the two back to back can feel like one is a bizarro-world version of the other. And on more minor notes, both feature Creator/JohnGielgud in a minor role, and a Film/JamesBond actor as Arthur (in the latter case, Creator/PierceBrosnan).[[note]]''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'' came earlier, one year after ''First Knight'', but the Arthurian connection is less direct. Although it has both Creator/SeanConnery and Gielgud too.[[/note]]

* HarsherInHindight: By sheer coincidence, in real life [[spoiler:Creator/SeanConnery and Creator/BenCross both died in 2020 with Cross going first,]] akin to their characters in the movie.

* RetroactiveRecognition: A young Creator/AlexisDenisof and ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' actor Valentine Pelka appear as two of Arthur’s knights.
* SignatureScene: The scene where the mortally wounded Malagant falls on the throne is what many people remember most from this film. This was due to the fact that this moment is often used in culture to depict a pathos chorus in dramatic scenes, or cool finishing off the main villain.

* HilariousInHindsight: The next Arthurian film to hit cinemas just three years later was ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot''. It has a similarly very blue color scheme for Arthur and Camelot while going to the opposite extreme with magical and fantastical elements. While ''First Knight'' has a stark lack of magic, going for a semblance of realism, ''Quest for Camelot'' has stuff like a talking dragon, a gryphon, a whole magical forest with sentient plants, men transformed into medieval cyborgs through sorcery, Excalibur magically knocking back a man several feet with just a parry... Even granting that one is live action and one is animated, watching the two back to back can feel like one is a bizarro-world version of the other. And on one minor note, both feature John Gielgud.

* HilariousInHindsight: The next Arthurian film to hit cinemas just three years later was ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot''. It has a similarly very blue color scheme for Arthur and Camelot while going to the opposite extreme with magical and fantastical elements. While ''First Knight'' has a stark lack of magic, going for a semblance of realism, ''Quest for Camelot'' has stuff like a talking dragon, a gryphon, a whole magical forest with sentient plants, men transformed into medieval cyborgs through sorcery, Excalibur magically knocking back a man several feet with just a parry... Even granting that one is live action and one is animated, watching the two back to back can feel like one is a bizarro-world version of the other.

* HilariousInHindsight: The next Arthurian film to hit cinemas just three years later was ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot''. It has a similarly very blue color scheme for Arthur and Camelot while going to the opposite extreme with magical and fantastical elements. While ''First Knight'' has a stark lack of magic, going for a semblance of realism, ''Queet for Camelot'' has stuff like a talking dragon, a gryphon, a whole magical forest with sentient plants, men transformed into medieval cyborgs through sorcery, Excalibur magically knocking back a man several feet with just a parry... Even granting that one is live action and one is animated, watching the two back to back can feel like one is a bizarro-world version of the other.

* HilariousInHindsight: King Arthur would later bear witness to [[Franchise/IndianaJones another character]] mastering the art of jousting....[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade with a flag pole for a lance.]]

* CompleteMonster: Prince [[NamesToRunAwayFrom Malagant]] is a former Knight of the Round Table who once served Myth/KingArthur of Camelot, but [[TheParagonAlwaysRebels turned rebel]] out of jealousy for the king. He and his followers frequently [[RapePillageAndBurn raid and burn]] villages to the grounds. Later, he and his knights capture Arthur's fiancé Guinevere and use her as a hostage for Arthur to give up his throne. In the end of the film, Malagant invades Camelot with his men and forces Arthur to [[KneelBeforeZod bow before him]] or else he will die and Camelot will be torched. Once Arthur defies him, Malagant sees him fatally injured and dies furiously ordering his men to burn Camelot to the ground. Malagant also employs full use of WeHaveReserves when he sacrifices a wave of soldiers just so Guinevere’s guards are out of position when the second wave hits.

* CompleteMonster: Prince [[NamesToRunAwayFrom Malagant]] is a former Knight of the Round Table who once served KingArthur of Camelot, but [[TheParagonAlwaysRebels turned rebel]] out of jealousy for the king. He and his followers frequently [[RapePillageAndBurn raid and burn]] villages to the grounds. Later, he and his knights capture Arthur's fiancé Guinevere and use her as a hostage for Arthur to give up his throne. In the end of the film, Malagant invades Camelot with his men and forces Arthur to [[KneelBeforeZod bow before him]] or else he will die and Camelot will be torched. Once Arthur defies him, Malagant sees him fatally injured and dies furiously ordering his men to burn Camelot to the ground. Malagant also employs full use of WeHaveReserves when he sacrifices a wave of soldiers just so Guinevere’s guards are out of position when the second wave hits.

* RetroactiveRecognition: A young pre-''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''/''{{Series/Angel}}'' Alexis Denisof and ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' actor Valentine Pelka appear as two of Arthur’s knights.

* RetroactiveRecognition: A young pre-''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''/''{{Series/Angel}}'' Alexis Denisof and ''{{Series/Highlander}}}'' actor Valentine Pelka appear as two of Arthur’s knights.

* {{Narm}}: Now it can look very cute and naive, when the main characters of the film behave too democratically and liberally, which was fashionable to portray during the release of the film, but it was absolutely impossible in the Middle Ages. (There are academic studies discussing this as an important element in the "Americanization" of the Arthurian legends, as also seen in Disney's ''Disney/TheSwordInTheStone''.)

* ClicheStorm: Not much at the time of the release, but now this film plays for the drama too many cliche of adventure films.

* BrokenAesop: Although the film clearly stands on the side of Lancelot in his love of the married queen, it does not work, since Creator/SeanConnery was a much more popular actor, and most of the audience was more sympathetic to him.

* SoOkayItsAverage: The general critical reaction at the time. It suffered from comparisons to another medieval epic, the much grittier (and [[ArtisticLicenseHistory no less fantastic]]) ''Film/{{Braveheart}}''.

* {{Narm}}: Now it can look very cute and naive, when the main characters of the film behave too democratically and liberally, which was fashionable to portray during the release of the film, but it was absolutely impossible in the Middle Ages.