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The Kingdom Of Heaven (2005) Film Review

To do a film review involving British director Ridley Scott one normally will always be pleased with the effort and in general this was the case here. He has come along way since his days as a TV commercial director. His most recent effort illustrates why he is currently the master of big budget CGI (Computer Generated Images) films. Five years ago he enthralled us with Gladiator and his talent for creating a hero in a period piece is evident once again. Set during the great crusades when religious wars were ruling the earth (not unlike today in some cases), we are taken on a journey where Orlando Bloom (lord of the rings trilogy) stars as "Balien of Ibelin", a blacksmith who finds himself learning the's List). When his father dies in the course of defending his son during battle, Bloom inherits a family reputation of responsibility and respect his father earned as a lord. 

Bloom's character is competently portrayed as a lost soul searching for his identity and responsibility whilst staying true to his king (played by an unrecognizable Edward Norton) and his father's vision of a peaceful kingdom.Liam Neeson convincingly reveals his character as a man of principals, but at the same time a man who feels guilty for not being apart of his son's past. Neeson is a respected actor who successfully portrays his roles with convincing authority and presence. So much so, I would have liked his character to last a little longer in the movie's script. Jeremy Irons plays lord Tiberias, Bloom's ally in the quest to maintain peace in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

With the exception of Die hard 03, Irons is known mostly for his art house dramatic roles and not big budget action films. He returns to the latter and delivers a fine effort in this supporting role.The film's weakness is due to easily recognizable similarities with this style of film. The movie score for the film is very similar to a past Ridley Scott blockbuster - Black Hawke Down, despite two different composers's used for both films. Bloom finds himself defending the human race again not unlike his role in another epic involving Orcs. He is such hot property in Hollywood, he seems to appear largely in these "epic" or "blockbuster" film genres ( Troy,Lord of the Rings movies & Pirates of the Caribbean) that are starting to type cast him. 

Strengths of this film are evident in the wardrobe department and the host of real Muslim actors used in the film. Those who enjoy watching large armies in blood thirsty battles (due to CGI effects) will not be disappointed but this film reviewer found Gladiator still to be the leader of sword and sandal epic films. To the director's credit his message of humanity and religious tolerance is well told and is just as relevant now as it was then.