Kingdom of Heaven

[Thrindle]

I had no idea that the Crusades were so ecumenical and secular.  

[Ghostboy]

HOw does it compare to gladiator?

Compared to this, Gladiator is the queen bee's knees.

I'll give Ridley Scott this much, though - he must have realized that epic battle scenes have been overdone and become dull, and so he largely avoids them. This isn't a film about the Crusades so much as it is about a series of diplomatic compromises.

[modage]

This isn't a film about the Crusades so much as it is about a series of diplomatic compromises.

sounds like summer movie season to me!  

seriously, this sucks.  i always go see the first big may weekend movie and i like ridley scott, but maybe i'll wait on this one for the directors cut dvd?  or maybe i'll just go waste my money.

[meatball]

I'll be seeing Hitchhiker's Guide this weekend.

[Ultrahip]

I didn't think this movie was that bad, and that it might be great with that extra hour Scott was told to cut. It was definitely way too rushed and as someone else mentioned, there was no breathing room. The first act zipped along like a treatment for a miniseries. But Edward Norton was quite effective as the leper king, and I think with the extra hour, Jeremy Irons and David Thewlis's characters would've been wonderful. And no complaints whatsover about Orlando Bloom, who did just fine, and I'm optimistic that whatever rushed or inconsistent things about his character were the fault of the lost hour, not his acting. Hopefully a director's cut DVD will prove that true. Brendan Gleeson, on the other hand, needs to give up the ham. He was ridiculous, a merry prankster/Templar extremist with pink hair, which was just weird.

As for the politics and religion...this is a summer blockbuster and it played them middle of the road, which was fine. It did not, from what I understand, aspire to Notre Musique levels of profundity (which are beautiful and true, to me anyway). Kingdom of Heaven was entertaining, which was good enough.

[Thrindle]

And no complaints whatsover about Orlando Bloom, who did just fine.

Except for the fact that he remains mediocre nomatter how hard he tries now to be.  Orlando Bloom remains a heart throb, not an actor.

[Ultrahip]

i guess, but he's not irritating like say, josh hartnett. hopefully elizabethtown will see bloom become a true actor.

[meatball]

I don't think anybody should be rooting for Orlando. He's pretty much had the hugest break any young actor's ever had, with Lord of the Rings then Pirates of the Caribbean and then Kingdom of Heaven. He serves his purpose as a matinee idol, but he's not turning into a legitimate thespian any time soon.

[Thrindle]

a legitimate thespian

I've been considering this myself.

[meatball]

a legitimate thespian

I've been considering this myself.

Acting?

[Thrindle]

a legitimate thespian

I've been considering this myself.

Acting?

 uh yeah.

[jtm]

a legitimate thespian

I've been considering this myself.

Acting?

becoming a thesbo.

[Sleuth]

 Sss sss ss sss!

[meatball]

I actually enjoyed Kingdom of Heaven, but I didn't at the same time. It started off really promising. Having been fascinated with the time period when I was younger, just to see it translated on screen so beautifully was worth watching. Liam Neeson earned his share, as did everybody else in supporting roles. Ridley was smart to cast such good actors, because Orlando Bloom is officially the second coming of Keanu Reeves. Eva Green was gorgeous as ever. I never knew a woman eating could be such a beautiful thing.

About thirty minutes into the movie, things started to get rushed and forced. They stayed that way, making the story a sloppy mess. The orchestra really started working their asses off to improve Orlando's performance. And eventually the movie became a Home Alone movie, defending Jerusalem. The subject matter was great, the directing was off. But, better than Troy and probably better than Alexander.

[Ghostboy]

Alexander was better by virtue of sheer lunacy (that, and Stone's obvious interest in the material). It may not have been good, exactly, but at least it wasn't boring.