Review of Kingdom of Heaven (2005) by Nicole R — 24 Dec 2011

When you see "From the director of Gladiator" on the cover, it gets you excited initially, because the hope of another historical epic of the same quality as Gladiator makes you sharpen your sword and prepare for glory--unfortunately Maximus himself would unleash hell (see what I did there) at the thought of anyone comparing his film to this one.

But don't get me wrong it's not all bad, and just because a movie doesn't match Gladiator (few movies do), it doesn't mean its completely terrible. For those who enjoy historical epics, Kingdom of Heaven is not a must see but its worth watching.

I do wish someone else was in the lead role as Orlando Bloom is one of the last people I want to see chopping heads off with a long sword and leading last stands against Saladin. I just don't find him very believable in the role.

His character also comes off a little corny--almost saint-like and boring. Or perhaps its not the character itself but Bloom's portrayal of him. Either way, it's not nearly as good as it could have been considering the subject matter, but its not a total waste either.

Its simply okay. Director's Cut is better.