The miscasting of the lightweight Bloom proves fatal: instead of galvanizing this epic, he sucks the energy out of it.

| Nov 1, 2007

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 1, 2006

It feels spectacularly empty.

| Original Score: 2/5 | May 10, 2005

Scott has certainly uncovered a fascinating era, but not necessarily the right hero to do it justice.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 10, 2005

A far-reaching period epic that is also relevant to our understanding of the conflicts in the Middle East of the present day.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | May 8, 2005

It is a deeply personal, highly introspective work of artistic expression the likes of which the director hasn't attempted since Blade Runner, this easily his best, and probably least accessible, film since that ground-breaking sci-fi classic.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | May 7, 2005

As Balian and his people withstand the might of Saladin's fiery projectiles, siege towers and the usual computer-generated swarm of soldiers, it's hard not to think we're really watching The Lord of the Rings IV: Legolas Defends Jerusalem.

| May 6, 2005

Is Orlando Bloom enough of a star to sustain a $100 million costume drama? The answer turns out to be yes.

| May 6, 2005

Since we barely know what's at stake -- we're too confused and bored to care -- all this fighting means nothing to us, and yet Scott still hopes to rev us up with it.

| May 6, 2005

Considerably more ambitious and significantly less satisfying than Gladiator.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 6, 2005

An epic about Christian crusaders who happen to be liberal humanists willing to die for the sake of religious tolerance. That's just ... weird.

Full Review | May 6, 2005

Mostly uninvolving; a movie you admire for its craft rather than enjoying for its passion.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 6, 2005

To say that Scott did a beautiful job directing Kingdom of Heaven would be true, but it wouldn't convey the nature of the achievement.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | May 6, 2005

The battle sequences here are actually worth the cost of admission, and there is exemplary supporting work by Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons, Edward Norton and especially Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud as the legendary Muslim leader Saladin.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 6, 2005

The religious sentiment accumulates into a tower of politically correct Jell-O.

| May 6, 2005

Filmed in Morocco, in Spain and in computers, Kingdom fills a vast canvas with breathtaking spectacle. In contrast, most of the performances are blandly ordinary.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 6, 2005

A $130 million epic with much to marvel at and great battle scenes, but it dazzles the senses while barely touching the heart.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 6, 2005

No one should be offended except, of course, those who like movies that excite the mind as well as the pulse.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 6, 2005

Dramatically, the problem is it's a lot easier to root for someone battling tigers and gladiators than it is to cheer on a guy wondering about the meaning of life. This is why Waiting for Godot has never been made into a summer movie blockbuster.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | May 6, 2005

Never straying from issues of war and peace, organized religion and an individual's relationship to God, Kingdom of Heaven earns the right to rattle its swords.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 6, 2005