Kingdom Of Heaven - 2-Disc Widescreen Edition
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Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oO6pCRe3pM
My onslaught on my DVD's that have been sitting unopened for years continues. Tonight I finally **** open my copy of Kingdom Of Heaven that has been sitting in the corner since 2005. That's what happens when you buy more DVD's than you have time to actually watch 'em. So, after 7 years of silence, was this worth it? In a word.....no.
Anyone that knows me knows I am a huge Ridley Scott fan. I love pretty much his entire filmography to date. But to say that I was underwhelmed with what I just watched is an understatement. Visually, this one has the same aesthetic as Ridley's other swords and sandals film Gladiator (http://pennycan.createaforum.com/dvd's-blu-rays/gladiator-(2000)/msg5115/#msg5115). Unlike Gladiator, which had more of a action/adventure feel to it, and a character we could get behind as well as a host of secondary characters to continually drive the story, Kingdom of Heaven really doesn't have any of that. Orlando Bloom is no Russel Crowe and I think he was miscast here as Balian of Ibelin. I will say that the story at heart for this one is a lot deeper than Gladiator, but it doesn't make up for the lack of Set Pieces. Even the ending battle didn't really wow me.
This is not to say the movie as a whole is bad. It's just that it didn't deliver what I went into the movie hoping to get out of it. The one character that I did find to be the most interesting was King Baldwin of Jerusalem, aka "the man behind the mask". Needless to say that I was stunned to find out that it was Edward Norton. I had no idea at all.
I would say this is worth only a Rental at best.