FIRST KNIGHT

CAPSULE REVIEW –– The only reason this film gets a star at all is because of Sean Connery. He's the only decent thing about this production. However, his age is also one of the problems of this version of the Arthurian legend. He makes a wonderful King Arthur. It's the casting of Julia Ormond, a woman young enough to be his granddaughter, as Guinevere that disturbed me. I know this kind of age difference was prevalent in the Middle Ages, but that doesn't make it any less acceptable. Plus, Ormond may be beautiful, but she lacks the strength and fire to pull off this pivotal role. There's no way either of these men would fight over a wilting flower like her. There's just nothing interesting about her character. Whether it's her performance or the script it's hard to tell. Not that Gere gives off much heat either. He's not one of my favorite actors, but man, you'd think he'd generate some kind of intensity playing the greatest knight who ever lived. Since when does squinting equal passion? He and Ormond make one of the most boring couples to ever pretend to be in love. It takes a special kind of talent to make one of the greatest legends ever created unwatchable. This is a prime example of miscasting. The watered down script doesn't help. The production vales are the best part of this dismal affair. An utter disappointment.