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Michael Elliott at MovieParables thinks the movie is "quite enjoyable in a popcorn munching kind of way. There is a great deal of humor, the violent action is not graphic, and the love story and sexual references are tastefully handled. What Helgeland was going after was obviously mere entertainment, and on that score he delivers." Douglas Downs at Christian Spotlight on the Movies takes issue with the film's astrological references: "I … believe that our lives are better directed by Sovereign means than 'the changing of the stars'," he writes, but still he recommends the film. "It has all the charm of The Princess Bride."

Parents are encouraged to check the reviews at Preview, where they address aspects of the film that might be inappropriate for younger viewers. A Knight's Tale earns praise from the site's uncredited critic, who calls it "a real crowd-pleaser as it humorously mixes historical scenes with today's sports. Surprisingly, many Biblical references are included in the dialogue." Movieguide declares it "a warm, friendly, entertaining movie with lots of good things in it, including a great father-son relationship, a woman of virtue, bad behavior rebuked, and many positive references to God." Focus on the Family's Bob Smithouser highlights what he believes are the film's honorable themes: "The idea that people can rise above social status and achieve great things … takes the fore. Nobility is not a birthright, but a matter of the heart." One scene in particular, he adds, offers "a fantastic, human illustration of mankind's redemption by Jesus Christ." Both Preview and Focus caution parents that some of the film's music contains potentially offensive lyrics, and the hero's behavior with the heroine gives the typical Hollywood endorsement of premarital sex, although this is implied rather than portrayed.

Critics in both the mainstream and religious media found some chinks in the movie's armor. New York Times' critic Elvis Mitchell finds some method in the madness of the film's rock soundtrack: "For the new picture's spiritual inspiration, Mr. Helgeland uses the swinging 1960's, when the British learned that style could rise from what they perceived to be the gutter. [The movie] is about the opportunity for reinvention that pop has come to represent and the punk ethos of 'seize the day.' But this groovy notion is where Mr. Helgeland stops thinking." He argues that the film's sentimental "follow-your-dream theme" eventually makes the movie "bland and predictable." Brian Miller at The Seattle Weekly agrees: "So far as kids' movies are concerned, Knight's Tale is notable for its absence of darkness, cynicism, and blood. All the believe-in-yourself platitudes stand in refreshing contrast to Scream-style sarcasm; problem is, Scream's a lot more fun to watch." He complains that "the constant, jokey parallels between jousting and modern sports" are so relentless that the joke wears out early. And The U.S. Catholic Conference calls the film's duration "a bit indulgent."

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May (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45