Kingdom of Heaven
cast: Orlando Bloom, Evan Green, Liam Neeson
The good: marvelous production values
The bad: littered with so many pointless scenes
Director Ridley Scott tries another Gladiator and succeeds...yet fails at the same time. He brings us again to ancient times this time around during the period of the Holy Crusade when Jerusalem was at the center of it all and Christians and Muslims where at it each other. Production values-wise, this is one of the most breathtaking films you'll ever witness beating similar war epics like Troy, Alexander, even the glorious LOTR trilogy. Everything from the helmets, swords, banners and flags, to the mesmerizing sets depicting Jerusalem and its neighboring towns and fortresses are brought to life in grand fashion; and when you witness the armies of both sides assembling and preparing for war with the gold cross glistening at the background, you'll appreciate what Hollywood artisans are truly capable of.
But everything is almost for naught as the film itself is boring, and crammed with pointless dialogue. Gladiator, the better work of Ridley Scott was also filled to the bones with dialogue but everything made sense and all merged into one big picture. Kingdom, on the other hand, feels more like Alexander (without the gays) with its superfluous scenes about the hero's struggle which never really takes center stage despite getting so much focus. The problem lies with the film's identity: is it about a man struggling to find God and rising up to serve him once more? or is it about the nature and history of the Crusade itself? Without an answer to this, the film goes two ways and tries unsuccessfully to inject both into itself.
Adding to the problem is Orlando Bloom's less than stellar acting coupled with his boyish looks which distracts from the otherwise grim and brooding feel of the film. Liam Neeson plays another master-who-imparts-knowledge character but his service is...well..very short. Also, I nearly laughed when the film turned from a serious narrative about the period into a conspiracy by evil royals to take control of Jerusalem (why does every Hollywood film have to have a bad guy? Can't they learn from their Asian counterparts?).
Watch if only for the thunderous battle sequences and grand production values. (3/5)
*Fun Fact: The commander-turned-king Marton Csokas of the film is also the baddie from the first xXx and Mr. Smith towards the end of Kangaroo Jack. And if you're wondering who the voice is behind the mask of the Jerusalem King, well its none other than Edward Norton.
The good: marvelous production values
The bad: littered with so many pointless scenes
Director Ridley Scott tries another Gladiator and succeeds...yet fails at the same time. He brings us again to ancient times this time around during the period of the Holy Crusade when Jerusalem was at the center of it all and Christians and Muslims where at it each other. Production values-wise, this is one of the most breathtaking films you'll ever witness beating similar war epics like Troy, Alexander, even the glorious LOTR trilogy. Everything from the helmets, swords, banners and flags, to the mesmerizing sets depicting Jerusalem and its neighboring towns and fortresses are brought to life in grand fashion; and when you witness the armies of both sides assembling and preparing for war with the gold cross glistening at the background, you'll appreciate what Hollywood artisans are truly capable of.
But everything is almost for naught as the film itself is boring, and crammed with pointless dialogue. Gladiator, the better work of Ridley Scott was also filled to the bones with dialogue but everything made sense and all merged into one big picture. Kingdom, on the other hand, feels more like Alexander (without the gays) with its superfluous scenes about the hero's struggle which never really takes center stage despite getting so much focus. The problem lies with the film's identity: is it about a man struggling to find God and rising up to serve him once more? or is it about the nature and history of the Crusade itself? Without an answer to this, the film goes two ways and tries unsuccessfully to inject both into itself.
Adding to the problem is Orlando Bloom's less than stellar acting coupled with his boyish looks which distracts from the otherwise grim and brooding feel of the film. Liam Neeson plays another master-who-imparts-knowledge character but his service is...well..very short. Also, I nearly laughed when the film turned from a serious narrative about the period into a conspiracy by evil royals to take control of Jerusalem (why does every Hollywood film have to have a bad guy? Can't they learn from their Asian counterparts?).
Watch if only for the thunderous battle sequences and grand production values. (3/5)
*Fun Fact: The commander-turned-king Marton Csokas of the film is also the baddie from the first xXx and Mr. Smith towards the end of Kangaroo Jack. And if you're wondering who the voice is behind the mask of the Jerusalem King, well its none other than Edward Norton.
posted by NaCl at Wednesday, May 04, 2005
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