William Thatcher, a knight's peasant apprentice, gets a chance at glory when the knight dies suddenly mid-tournament. Posing as a knight himself, William won't stop until he's crowned tournament champion—assuming matters of the heart don't get in the way.
You might find yourself smiling and laughing all the way through it.
– David Edelstein,
Slate,
21 May 2001
rotten:
The result is half Python, half Ivanhoe -- and not as much fun as either.
– Richard Schickel,
TIME Magazine,
4 Jun 2001
fresh:
The movie promises to rock you, and much of the time it does.
– Rita Kempley,
Washington Post,
11 Jun 2001
rotten:
Instead of pulling young audiences imaginatively back into the past, A Knight's Tale cheapens the process by demonstrating that there's no essential difference between then and now.
– Peter Rainer,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
6 Aug 2001
fresh:
Whipping along at speed, with elaborate camera movements and rousing speeches, this knows how to engage a crowd. It's corny, of course, but a guilty pleasure: romantic, diverting, with mildly amusing modern gags.