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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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79
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69
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64
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69
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You, the Living
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Black Knight
EMAILPRINT20th Century Fox Film Corporation

Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 26 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 15 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy
Written by:
Darryl Quarles
Peter Gaulke
Gerry Swallow
Directed by: Gil Junger
Release Date:
Theatrical: November 21, 2001
DVD: April 16, 2002
Running Time: 95 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for language, sexual/crude humor and battle violence
Starring Martin Lawrence, Tom Wilkinson, Marsha Thomason, Vincent Regan, Kevin Conway, and Jeannette Weegar
Jamal Walker (Lawrence) toils, unhappily, at Medieval World, a theme park that looks like it has not been renovated, or had customers, since the Dark Ages. After falling into the park's fetid moat, Jamal crawls out into fourteenth century England. The Middle Ages will never be the same. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
It has more hilarious throwaway lines than most comedies offer up as their best jokes, and it is consistently inspired, energetic and, most important, light on its feet.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
Martin Lawrence finally gets to show what he can do as a screen comedian.
Read Full Review >Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
It's a shrewd little comedy that uses good British actors to challenge its star, who rises to the occasion.
Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey
Though the humor of Black Knight never quite achieves the giddiness of a Monty Python comedy, Lawrence creates a character more lovable than either Bill or Ted on either of their excellent adventures.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
Lawrence, as always, exerts the appeal of a con man too lightweight to buy into his own con. He'd be funnier, though, if he didn't insist on being the only funny thing in the room.
Read Full Review >Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman
It relies on short bursts of Lawrence's zaniness, punctuated by an occasional joke about stinking feet or vile breath. For his admirers, that will be plenty.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Jay Carr
It's hard to find the movie unpleasant, but it's hard to imagine it causing any strong reaction at all.
USA Today Claudia Puig
We had hoped for just a funny movie, but instead we get some laughs and plenty of yawns.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
Too bad it's not so funny. Almost every gag in Black Knight feels forced and contrived, as if the movie is desperate to squeeze laughs out of us.
Read Full Review >New Times (L.A.) Andy Klein
Goes by relatively swiftly and painlessly, despite the completely ragtag nature of its construction, but there is not an inspired moment in it.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach
The best thing about Black Knight is when it finally says goodnight.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker
Isn't merely bad, it's utterly flavorless and the filmmakers are either too lazy or too cynical to even pretend there's a story behind Lawrence's 21st century homeboy shtick in 14th-century garb.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Steve Simels
The lame and apparently tacked-on ending (which seems to crib footage from 2000's "Gladiator"), suggests the rather terrifying prospect of a Roman-era sequel. Five words: Be afraid, be very afraid.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan
This time-travel scenario is by now shopworn, and the normally riotous Lawrence, a manic and gifted clown, is hamstrung in his efforts to eke humor from the anemic script.
Read Full Review >Variety Joe Leydon
Arriving so soon after "A Knight's Tale" -- and the 25th-anniversary reissue of the classic "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," Black Knight is a textbook example of too much, too late.
Read Full Review >New York Post Jonathan Foreman
If this cheesy, cheap-looking update of "A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court" had been co-produced by the Ku Klux Klan itself, it could hardly be more repellently stereotypical.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jami Bernard
Dismal time-travel comedy that makes "Big Momma's House" look like "Citizen Kane."
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Mark Caro
But in the end everything comes down to Lawrence, who has yet to develop a truly distinct comedic sensibility.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy
It's fitting that Black Knight, the new time-travel movie with Martin Lawrence, should arrive at the start of the Christmas season, because the season gives us the perfect word to describe it: humbug.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Michael Dequina
Martin Lawrence can be hysterically funny. You'd never guess that from watching the remarkably wasteful endeavor known as Black Knight.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector
Jamal (Martin Lawrence), starts trying to make the best of a bad situation, which becomes our job too.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
A movie that knows its audience. Its underlying philosophy might be: why try harder when this is all they expect?
Read Full Review >Village Voice Mark Holcomb
Suited only for unwitting under-twelvers (though even they may not outlast the midpoint evaporation of Lawrence's shtick).
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Paul Malcolm
"It's no longer funny, but he refuses to give up the joke." That just about sums it up except for the film's shopworn plot -- and its wretchedly cheap production design.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
There's precious little to like about the witless and decidedly tedious Black Knight other than the fact that it's unlikely to generate a sequel.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 6.3 (out of 10) based on 15 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
IluvKellyClarkson gave it a 6:
Screw LA Weekly and Austin Chronicle! This movie is funny: not the best, but funny!
Are P. gave it a 0:
There have been many-a-film about the silly folk finding themselves transported in time. To do this well, AGAIN, at the very least you'd need a good, and FUNNY story line as well as an actor. This movie has neither. Martin Lawrence just isn't funny. He may be allright on stage throwing jokes at the less than educated, but he certainly does not carry a movie. I stay far away from being racist, but it seems to me the only people finding this guy funny are African Americans. Am I right?
Sir Gilbert Mulroneycakes The Pointless gave it a 0:
Let me get this straight. About Schmidt - a wonderful, touching and darkly funny near masterpiece - gets 4.4 out of ten from Metacritic users, and Black Knight - possibly the least funny thing you can do at the movies, just short of "accidentally setting fire to the projector and burning to death" - gets 8.9. There's no accouting for taste. But there bloody well SHOULD BE.
Cole P. gave it a 9:
This was a hilarious and a very well done movie!!!!
Jason B. gave it a 9:
Its got all the great Martin Lawrence gags and one-liners in it. A must see for Martin Lawrence fans.
Shudonna C. gave it a 10:
This movie was the best movie I have seen in months. I can't stop watching it. I really think that Martian really like out did his self in this movie. Your Kingleness.
Jimmy P. gave it a 9:
This movie was artisticly and historically amusing, a wonderful performance by Sir Martin Lawrence. Anybody who tries to say harsh words about it, should just remember, It's A Funny Movie. Back Off.
