Those hoping Ridley Scott’s “Kingdom of Heaven” would match or, dare say, surpass his Academy Award-winning men-at-war epic “Gladiator” are in for a disappointment. For all its event-movie bombast (sweeping score, lush cinematography, large-scale set pieces populated with CGI-generated hordes) and apparent good intentions, the mega-budgeted, star-studded “Kingdom of Heaven” fails to truly excite, leaving far too many questions left frustratingly unanswered. Among them, why cast a genteel pretty boy like Orlando Bloom to play the hard-bitten Balian, a blacksmith-turned-Crusader who leads the Christians occupying medieval Jerusalem against an invading Muslim army? This is a role that begs a combination of red-blooded masculinity and smoldering valor (think O’Toole, McQueen or Crowe), not an adorable teeny-mag cover boy best known for playing a wispy elf and wanna-be swashbuckler. Bloom is a decent actor who has acquitted himself admirably as a second fiddle in this sort of grand fare before, but try as he might — he did buff up for the role and grew exotic facial hair — he simply can’t cut it as a feared warrior and inspirational leader of men.
Another question is who, exactly, are we supposed to be rooting for here? Scott and screenwriter William Monahan are clearly trying to draw parallels between past and current conflicts in the Middle East while preaching tolerance. In so doing they offer equally sympathetic portraits of the Jews, Muslims and Christians and make compelling cases for all sides’ claim to the Holy Land. As a result, the battle for the real estate that is the film’s central conflict leaves us feeling conflicted. The primary antagonists — Brendan Gleason and Martin Csokas as a pair of blood-thirsty Knights Templar at odds with Balian and the righteous King Baldwin IV (Edward Norton) — register little screen time and never appear to pose a serious threat to an auspicious outcome. On a positive note, Jeremy Irons and Eva Green (“The Dreamers”) impress in supporting turns. (Rated R for strong violence and epic warfare. Running time: 145 minutes)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 6, 2005. Read the original PDF.