Kingdom of Heaven

Pros: some of the action
Cons: the story, weak characters, disconnected plot structure

After the success of Gladiator, Ridley Scott seemed to have a good handle on time period films taking place back before technology took over the way wars are fought. Given a second chance to put his knowledge on display, Scott Directed and Produced ...

Pros: Bloom, Green, Massoud, Neeson, Irons, Gleeson, story, direction
Cons: Scott has created more exciting movies

Jerusalem is a holy city for three major religions. For some two centuries, Christian and Muslim men fought to lay exclusive claim to this holy land during the period known as the Crusades. Others looked at the bigger world picture and decided to defend ...

Pros: Story, supporting cast, moral
Cons: Bloom weak in lead, score sounds recycled

Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Ridley Scott has made a passel of excellent movies and the Kingdom of Heaven is another in that long line that began with Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Gladiator, and continued through many more until ...

Pros: Gleeson, Irons, Neeson, Bloom (most of the time), some parts of the script...
Cons: ... Eva Green, uninvolving characters...

Kingdom of Heaven is a rather interesting film from Director Ridley Scott, but ultimately I found it rather uninspiring. It follows the journey of a young Blacksmith named Balian (Orlando Bloom), who turns out to be a Crusader Knight’s ...

Pros: Director's Cut = great story, beautiful cinematography, good acting, great effects
Cons: Theatrical Cut = mediocre story, beautiful cinematography, lackluster acting, great effects

I don’t remember it, but apparently there was some pretty big controversy over Director Ridley Scott’s epic about the Crusades, Kingdom of Heaven. With the success of other historical dramas, Scott planned an epic on the Crusades. ...

Pros: Solid sets, Orlando Bloom
Cons: Transitions, why does Liam Neesin keep playing the same character?

The biggest problem with Kingdom of Heaven isn't an odd one. Some might point out that Orlando Bloom isn't exactly the most hefty action hero around and they would be right. However he is coming along fairly well. Granted portraying a blacksmith ...

Pros: visually stunning, dramatic, with great performances and a top-shelf script
Cons: long, surprisingly short on action and sex, complicated resolutions

This is a beautifully written, well-directed film - with great performances and a story worth telling. After 9/11, it had looked like we'd be up to our gills in fascist cinema - all a series of ruminations on the joys of revenge and shadow fights with ...

Pros: Great cast, some nice visual effects
Cons: Lackluster ending, no heroics, lacks coolness

Kingdom of Heaven is a medieval epic about the Holy Crusades. It stars Orlando Bloom and is directed by Ridley Scott, who previously helmed Gladiator and Black Hawk Down. With all the cast and crew involved, I expected this to be a ...

Pros: Scenery and cinematography
Cons: Incredibly long speeches that amount to nothing but a yawn or three

I kind of have strong feelings about this one or I wouldn't be the 35th person to review it. Old Jerusalem had a siege, ee-ei-ee-ei-oh; with a fight fight here and a speech speech there, her a speech here a fight every where a speech fight ...

Pros: Nice story
Cons: Little history

The story line tells of a man who was a lord in the Levant who returns to France for his long lost son, brings him to Jerusalem where the father dies, the son takes his place, and Jerusalem falls to Sala-al-din, and the people are saved by the son's ...

Pros: Cinematography
Cons: Almost everything else.

The Crusades, that oft-talked about but little understood and never historically heeded chapter in the development of not only Western Civilization but of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, is but a ill-developed backdrop to this messy movie call ...

Pros: The fight scenes.
Cons: The inner story.

The whole time I was watching Kingdom of Heaven I kept thinking back to Gladiator and how simple the story line and the lead actor’s portrayal were in that watershed film, compared to Kingdom. Ridley Scott struck Oscar Pay Dirt ...

Pros: The odd visual effect or two
Cons: Plot, acting, direction, overly long, boring

The action / epic / war genre isn’t one I delve into very often. They appeal to guys because they’ve got blood and fighting, and they often appeal to girls because of some "pretty boy" actor in the lead role. Brad Pitt in Troy, for example, or ...

Pros: Everything!!!!!
Cons: Too long for the incontinent.

Make no mistake; Kingdom of Heaven is an incredible movie. True, it may not, as some say, be factually accurate to what we know of the crusades but what we know isn’t very precise. There were no real chroniclers of the events that unfolded. What ...

Pros: Ghassan Massoud; Liam Neeson; Orlando Bloom sometimes; first rate production and war sequences
Cons: Orlando Bloom sometimes; Eva Green's thankless role; anti war message lost in story shuffle

Battle is imminent. Balian (Orlando Bloom) looks out into the dark desert night. In the distance he sees flashes of light. Firebombs have been launched, hurtling toward the fortified walls (And directly at the screen) of Jerusalem like cannonball ...

Pros: …
Cons: …

There are some movies that I would never consider getting in a million years. Kingdom of Heaven is one such movie. However, my mother rented it one night figuring that I might like it. I figured that at the very least, I’d get a review out of it, ...

Pros: The acting, and plot and what not.
Cons: A little confusing.

I saw Kingdom of Heaven with a girl. That does make me wonder if I only liked it because of the emotion I was feeling for her during our viewing. After considering this, I gave the film some objective thought. Yeah, it's pretty good. However, this ...

Pros: musical score
Cons: historical inaccuracies, Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, special effects, storyline

The onslaught of television advertisements in recent days touting the release of Ridley Scott’s potential summer blockbuster, Kingdom of Heaven, give its audience the impression as though the film should be perceived as a sequel of sorts to the ...

Pros: stylish and visually rich
Cons: historically flawed

“If this is the kingdom of heaven, let God do with it as he wishes” so spoke Balian of Iberlin during his defence of the city of Jerusalem, unfortunately it is Ridley Scott and not god who calls the shots here. Ridley Scott does have an impressive back ...

Pros: religious aspect of plot
Cons: lumbering, seen-it-before war effects

I no longer get excited when it comes to long epic/war movies, and those who've seen many of the recent ones probably, like me, go into each subsequent adventure with a chip of skepticism on their shoulder. I was kinder than most in my non-recommendation ...

Pros: Orlando Bloom, both sides of the story are presented somewhat fairly
Cons: Somewhere I missed the connection, some of the characters are shallow, its 2.5 hours.

I get it--and it doesn't take a two and half hour movie to tell me. This movie was cinematically perfect, lovely camera work, nice battle scenes, and great acting, but the story is lacking and I ended up wondering what was it all for? This will be one ...

Pros: Deep, multi layered, interesting characters, fantastic battles, great acting
Cons: Can't see none

Few genres appeal to me so much as the epic does. I love drama, and I love big action. The epic combines these two loves and basically puts them on steroids. Many of them rank among my favorite films of all time, including Spartacus, Braveheart and of ...

Pros: Great mindless fun
Cons: Main character (Balian) totally misrepresented ... lots of other historical inaccuracies.

The Crusades, particularly their Middle Eastern phase (1099-1291), were a fascinating period. They were a textbook example of religion gone bad (something it’s genetically prone to), especially when directed against other Christians (“kill them all; god ...

Pros: Exilerating battles, superb performances by a few veteran actors, historically unbias.
Cons: battles nothing too new, historical inaccuracies here and there, Orlando Bloom.

I actually just returned from this movie less than four hours ago. In fact, I am pulling an all-nighter just to write this novel, so be grateful. Thank You Red Bull. Ahem. Let me begin by stating that if they hadn't reduced the price of movies in ...

Pros: impressive visuals, interesting story
Cons: Orlando Bloom's acting, too long, excellent cast nearly unexploited

It is no mystery that Ridley Scott loves to make historical epics. After Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, Scott decided to make a film on the Holy Crusades and the result is Kingdom of Heaven. The film's main star is Orlando Bloom who plays Balian, the ...

Pros: Excellent (extraodinary) production values, photography, effects, and acting.  Very impressive historical drama.
Cons: Lots of blood and violence.  Requires sitzfliesch.  (Also fudges some historical details.)

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (2005) is another historical spectacular by Ridley Scott, who brought us GLADIATOR and many other big dramas, so we expect a lot - and are not disappointed.  This movie deals with the ugly events that occurred between the end of ...

Pros: Norton, Neeson, and Bloom; art design, cinematography, editing
Cons: everything else (the film holds no interest)

Watch the trailer for "Kingdom of Heaven". You'll see balls of fire flying through the air. You'll see handsome-looking men fighting valiantly. You'll see siege towers fall in the midst of an epic battle. You'll see some mysterious, enticing-looking ...

Pros: the acting, plot, and action are great, but the message and relevance are even better
Cons: theatrical version hurt it, too many cynical review by others, length not for the timid

I was finally able to buy the Director's Cut edition of "Kingdom of Heaven". This is a great movie that deserves better than the ratings that it has received. A lot better. So sit tight because I have a lot to share about it. PLOT: It has been a ...

Pros: Exceptional video, Better storyline, Actor performances, Gorgeous backgrounds, Many 3-D effects
Cons: Virtually no Special Features

Hello again! I'm back to review another in my collection of Blu-Ray Disc's and this time it's Ridley Scott's epic "Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut". And, the best part, is that it's been released in the high-def Blu-Ray Disc format. The Flick ...

Pros: Genre, Plot, History, Set, Scene, Supporting Casts, Eva Green, Heroine, Religion, Racism, Character, Sexuality
Cons: Bit

Ridley Scott’s “Kingdom of Heaven,” begin in 12th century France. A well-known knight Baron Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson) returns home from battle in the first of Crusade.He rides horse accompanying by eight others. He is here ...

Pros: Grand armies in desert; Nuanced political view
Cons: Weak storytelling; Orlando Bloom

[no spoilers] People never seem to learn from history. For the last thousand years, white people have been marching to the Middle East, only to get slaughtered in the desert over and over again. A grandly staged war epic, “Kingdom of ...

Pros: Bloom, Irons, Neeson, and Scotts brilliant camera work!
Cons: the story can drag just a during the first half.

During a period when tensions are high (for obvious reasons!) between Muslims and Christians, I'm surprised Ridley Scott ever got the backing to produce a film like this. Set in the 11th Century between the first and second crusades, Scott, ...

Pros: Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Ridley Scott, music score by Gregson-Williams
Cons: savagely cut for summer audiences

Kingdom of Heaven directed by Ridley Scott has been given a raw deal by those who have given far too much credence to early reviews and guess'timations based solely on the premise that Orlando is too young to take a leading role. More than half the early ...

Pros: Graphics, acting
Cons: Difficult to follow, weak storyline. Could not connect with characters

Unable to afford the high price of movie tickets, I highly anticipated this movie being available on cable. Finally, last night, the time had come. What I thought was going to be a highly-detailed historical endeavor turned out to be somewhat of a ...

Pros: Forest Fight involving Godfrey and his knights, the soundtrack, Neeson, Thewlis, and Norton characters.
Cons: This film was not edited well. Balian's character. Battle scenes were not original.

Writing My opinions and personal views based on William Monohan's screenplay and "vision", The film starts off very promising with Balian as a village blacksmith in 12 century France expressing anger, hurt, and grief by pounding away at hot metal, as he ...

Pros: Epic Storyline, Superb characters, unmatched action sequences, and a relatively happy ending
Cons: Historical Inaccuracy

When I first saw "Kingdom of Heaven" I'll admit that I was rather skeptical. Medieval History being my obsession I approached fully expecting to find a miriad of historical errors and an overall poor film. However, I was to be pleasantly surprised. ...

Pros: An educational movie.
Cons: I did not find any.

If you are a person who likes Braveheart and Gladiator, here is another DVD that you need to see. I am talking about the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven dates back to the time of the first crusades. Orlando Bloom’s character is the son of a ...

Pros: Perfect casting and script and detail in the sets and costumes; thought provoking.
Cons: Not for those requiring 100% accuracy in historical characters over effective presentation of historical events.

I just watched the movie Kingdom of Heaven on DVD rental, all the while regretting having missed it on the big screen. I had intended to see it in the theater but decided to wait until it came to video because of some reviews I had read. Big mistake. ...

Pros: Ridley Scott
Cons: None

First, and I cant stress this enough, when I say, THIS IS NOT LORD OF THE RINGS. People cant keep judging every epic against the LOTR yard stick. LOTR was a one-off movie, and although Peter Jackson did an absolutely fantastic job, we must remember that he was working with was is arguably the greatest story ever written. LOTR, like Star Wars must stand alone in cinematic history.

So judge this film for what it is not for what it isn't.

So what is it?

Well its a film about the crusades, and it well tackles a subject that is difficult to tackle. Now more than ever. And it leaves you with the right message.

Ridley Scott once again proves he is a true master of his craft and paints the screen with beautiful sights and sounds.

Orlando Bloom turns in a good performance and shows that he is a growing talent.

was I entertained? yeah a lot
did I emote? yeah a little

So it was a good movie

Pros: Great costumes, music scores and battle scenes.
Cons: Poor story-telling, lacks emotion.

Ridley Scott is undoubtedly a great director. He has proved it , among others, with The Gladiator and Thelma and Louise. His direction is again great in The Kingdom of God. However, it is in the story that this movie suffers. The writer/director seemed to wish to impress the viewers too much with battle scenes. A moving focusing solely on special effects or action scenes is uninteresting if the story is shallow or unclear. I found the characters are not well-defined. We feel no emotion or compassion for them. The love story has been integrated probably only to attract female movie-goers. We don’t feel excited or interested in the intrigue, because no desire or build-up has been built between the characters. What saves this movie are the battle scenes, the music and, for women, the opportunity to see Orlando Bloom for more than two and half hours! It is not the purpose of this movie to find solutions to the Middle East conflict, but as in other great epics such as the Ten Commandments and Ben Hur, it would have been a great occasion to learn and understand more thoroughly a fascinating historical period.

Pros: Actionpacked, Great Direction and Production
Cons: boring acting by Bloom

I'm a history buff and always had a love for history of the Crusades. Before the release of the film, I wondered if it will create conflict among religious communities such as the Muslims between Christian communities. As a young Muslim American I always thought that Muslims were portrayed negatively in Hollywood films. This film however directed by Ridley Scott did not do that. Astonishingly even in a time where Muslims in the world are put down negtively. I believe this film was greatly acted, however Bloom could have done a better job in his seriuousness in his role. The beginning of the film was quiet confusing however and unreal in how the Baron of Ibelin would take in his bastard son for his job. However the plot thickens and new characters are introduced and the exciting action unfolds. In addition it also must be pointed out that ofcourse this film is not at all historically accurate.

Pros: great story, beautiful costumes
Cons: not enough alexander siddig

i love this movie. my favorite genre is medieval-era period movies and the fact that my favorite actor of all-time[alexander siddig] plays nasir-makes this movie even more enjoyable. i even go through the info during the day on my cable to see if kingdom of heaven is on during the day.

i just wish alexander siddig had more screen time than he did.[but that's just me] i loved the little trade-off he had with balien[bloom]. first, balien spares his life, then he does the same after the battle of kerak. my favorite line of the whole movie came from siddig-'your quality will be known among enemies before ever you meet them, my friend'