Kingdom Of Heaven Reviews

GREAT FILM FANTASTIC ACTION

This film host a star studed cast

and the film lives up to this. The effects especially the battle scenes are without doubt out of this world. The story/plot is both acceptable and understandable.From the start it is gripping and holds your attention straight away ( avoid the toilet dash) whilst two and a half hours long it seems like one hour.Without disclosing the plot the movie portrays the battle between the various religeous nominations and the fight for the control of Jerusalem. A good portrail of the religeous beliefs but also the need and rights to control. overall two many key performances too mention ( eNglish fans watch for SPIDER from coronation street)

[Highly rated reviewer]

Wholly unconvincing holy nonsense

It’s no surprise that this film was made by a successful director of advertisements: everything and everyone is improbably glossy – a medieval blacksmith with Orlando Bloom’s skin and hair and articulacy, honestly! – and it bears about as much connection to reality as the average shampoo commercial does; indeed the multiplicity of candles in more than one scene is reminiscent of nothing more than a naff music video or an ad for chocolates.

In keeping with a certain current earnestness it tries very hard to be even-handed towards Muslims and consequently has Christian characters spouting forth all manner of anachronistically tolerant views. The clumsy introduction of a hopelessly unconvincing love interest would put a Disney cartoon to shame (shades of a travel agent’s ad here). The battle scenes, while not stinting on the gory aspects, were staged scarcely more impressively than a Channel 4 historical-documentary reconstruction. Without the resources of a cinema screen (and this film flopped even as a cinematic release for a reason) I can’t imagine any reason to sit through this nonsense.

More King Arthur than Gladiator

Orlando Bloom in his third siege in as many years (Lord of the Rings, Troy) - and he is certainly getting better at battle tactics. Accomplished direction from Ridley Scott, impressive battle scenes, Jeremy Irons as a grizzled cynic...and little plot or character to keep you interested.

Bloom is surprisingly ok as the super-nice knight fighting for peace and equality (it's not what you were born into, it's your actions, bla bla bla). Shiny hair and inspirational speeches about Jerusalem belonging to people of all religions just don't have the visceral impact of Russell Crowe's Gladiator (although perhaps the film should be watched by leaders in Israel and Palestine if no-one else).

Understandably reluctant to make Saladin and his muslims the baddies, Scott opts for the villain of choice for many recent films, the French. Although if they didn't keep repeating their names, you would be hard pressed to work out that they were French at all. Those who call for holy war on both sides are shown as the bad guys while those who fight for peace like Bloom are the goodies, intended as a message for George Bush, perhaps.

The princess Sybilla is a complete waste of screen time, and the 'romance' between her and the man whose wife has recently comitted suicide is contrived, unconvincing and distasteful.

Watchable, but not memorable.

[Highly rated reviewer]

History made fun

This film was brilliant. Blown away by the location, the fight scenes were amazing and the scenery was breathtaking. Orlando Bloom was superb, he was believeable and likeable, I have to say it did remind me of Lord of the Rings but in a good way. The film was nearly two and a half hours long but you got so caught up with the magic that it felt like an hour. All performances were excellent, well worth seeing.

Brilliant film - a must see

Not really my cup-of-tea on a whole. However, I couldn't help but enjoy it. It is one of those movies that we all must see. The special effects were near amazing, the photography is breathtaking, the action is intense and blood is splurting in all directions. The battle of religion certainly is a gruesome one. Controversy follows this film, but to be honest I have no idea why? It does not depict either religions in a good or a bad way. Both are equal.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Disappointed!

I saw this at the cinema. I went with high hopes but was disappointed.

I just don't think Ridley Scott knew whether he wanted to make a serious film about the Christian/Islam conflict, or just a spectacular Crusade set battle film. The result fails to be either.

He tip toes around the religious aspect and, whilst he certainly tries to give some balance, he never really gets to the folly of people killing each other over their belief in a God.

As a battle spectacle, it is too wordy and just too ponderous.

Kept an open mind but genuinely disappointing

Having heard mixed reviews about this film I was determined to give it a fair chance, but disappointingly it failed to deliver in virtually all respects. Orlando Bloom simply does not have the screen presence to deliver the strong character the lead role demands. My wife and I spent some time speculating what we would have thought of the film had Russell Crowe or Viggo Mortenson been the lead man... In addition the film meanders far too long without having any purpose at all; the usually impeccable Ridley Scott missed a trick by not introducing the politics in Jerusalem (and indeed characters) before Liam Neeson goes to seek out his son. In addition the sound editing leaves much to be desired, we struggled to pick up the conversation much of the time. Battle scenes (in particular the siege of Jerusalem) acceptable, but I'm afraid much, much more is expected of an action movie before it can be justifiably termed an 'epic'...

Great Entertainment

I expected this to be a good movie – it was more, it was simply GREAT! Okay the purists will read their Runciman and complain that this is bad history, something I cannot argue with, but as entertainment it is absolutely first class. As an overall concept think Gladiator meets the Siege of Minas Tirith from LOTR 3 and any film buff will also spot influences from elsewhere but what you get is true Ridley Scott magic and a two hours that pass like a flash.

I had some suspicions of Bloom as a leading actor before I saw the movie but I would say, from this performance, that he has a successful career ahead of him and he more than held his own against a literal plethora of 1st class actors who take all of the supporting roles.

A movie that is destined to be a classic of its type. Superb.

Great Film

The reviews seem very polarized here, with people either loving it or thinking it rubbish. To me the negativity seems largely unjustified. It is true that the baddies in the film seemed irrationally so, but then the crusades were irrational anyway, and in such primitive times it is not improbable that people would behave so.

Any film that glorified warfare would not have my vote, but this one shows it for what it is – foolish and destructive, and yet requiring the very highest qualities to survive physically and spiritually within it. The film depicts the full range of human nature, from the very lowest to the highest: isn’t that what drama should be about? In our comfortable lives, where the hardest thing we have to face is getting out of bed on a Monday morning, isn’t it expanding to be transported into a cinematographic world, where the metal of ordinary human beings is tested in so much more extreme circumstances?

I found the film inspiring, and I enjoyed the great acting performances. It might not be Loach, Leigh, Russell, or Tolkien, but it is one of those films that go beyond mere entertainment, and such films are, in my view, the only ones worth watching.

An epic bore!

To make an epic worth the money spent on the battle scenes, you need interesting characters. On this measure, Kingdom of Heaven fails miserably.

Orlando Bloom is truly awful as Balian. He seems to believe that a change of wig and walk is all that is needed to create an interesting character. Elves are blonde and walk on tip toes; 12th century Crusaders are brunette and walk like they had a full nappy.

None of the actors look remotely interested in the characters they are playing. Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons' performances in particular seem more suited to 'Carry On Crusader'. Eva Green manages to look more vacuous than Kiera Knightley; a feat I previously thought impossible!

However, the accolade for most ridiculous feature must go to costume and make-up. Who would have thought that the noble residents of 12th century Jerusalem would look like the purveyors of arty farty rubbish on Brighton seafront?