Critic Reviews
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Rank 2 Reviews
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based on (358) reviews
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moviereview (Colin Fraser)
Slant Magazine - DVD Review
Film Threat (Pete Vonder Haar)
A handful of nifty battle scenes and some decent performances aren't quite enough to make Kingdom memorable. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Film Threat (Pete Vonder Haar)
Orlando Weekly (Steve Schneider)
The prescription for cooling today's cross-cultural antipathies is as respectable as it is obvious. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Orlando Weekly (Steve Schneider)
Village Voice (Michael Atkinson)
The movie does what any self-respecting politician would do: sidestep the issues, soft-pedal mortal costs, talk a fat game, and divert your attention away from history with exercises in spectacle and power. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Village Voice (Michael Atkinson)
Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Scott's battles are ferocious things of grim beauty -- bloody, personal and deafening crashes of armored men and horses colliding at full gallop. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
The biggest shortcoming of this crusader story is not that Scott twists the facts (he does), but that he can't elevate the story to something more than an alluring re-creation. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
Cinenganos (Alex Ramirez)
En términos fílmicos aporta poco más que buenos escenarios y buenas batallas. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Cinenganos (Alex Ramirez)
The New Yorker (Anthony Lane)
One imagined that a movie about the Crusades would be gallant and mad; one feared that it might stoke some antiquated prejudice. But who could have dreamed that it would produce this rambling, hollow show about a ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at The New Yorker (Anthony Lane)
Film Snobs (Jimmy O)
With Kingdom of Heaven , Ridley proves that good cinema cannot wait for terrorism. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Film Snobs (Jimmy O)
ShowBIZ Data (--)
eFilmCritic.com (David Cornelius)
Scott’s visual style and knack for epic storytelling carries us through, and makes his latest work passable, if not memorable, oversized entertainment. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at eFilmCritic.com (David Cornelius)
ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Jeffrey Chen)
Plain-faced moralizing... It's at once bold and dumbed down. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Jeffrey Chen)
Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
While Kingdom of Heaven will surpass last year’s lackluster historical epics, it won't be a classic like Braveheart and Gladiator . ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
When he's surrounded by his men of brawn and battle experience, does Bloom look like the guy they're going to follow? ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
La Presse, Montréal (--)
Empire (Ian Nathan)
A frustratingly thin epic. You're left wanting more exposition, more character development, the tidying up of loose ends. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Empire (Ian Nathan)
Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
This is one cool movie! ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
MovieMaze (Markus Ostertag)
Daytona Beach News-Journal (Fl.) (Jeff Farance)
efilmcritic.com (Dan Lybarger)
From watching the film, it’s a bit hard to care who conquers. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at efilmcritic.com (Dan Lybarger)
Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Xi-online (Jeroen Vormeer)
Boxoffice Magazine
Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
Considerably more ambitious and significantly less satisfying than Gladiator . ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
Kvikmyndir.com (--)
Oscar Guy (Wesley Lovell)
There's an audience for "Kingdom of Heaven" it's just difficult to know where to find them. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Oscar Guy (Wesley Lovell)
Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
No one should be offended except, of course, those who like movies that excite the mind as well as the pulse. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
Seattle Times (Tom Keogh)
Mostly uninvolving; a movie you admire for its craft rather than enjoying for its passion. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Seattle Times (Tom Keogh)
Baltimore Sun (--)
Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
An historical epic, when done well, can be a glorious thing. When done poorly, it can be an insomniac's best friend. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
Zertinet Movies (Steven Snyder)
Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)
As Balian, a blacksmith turned Crusader, Orlando Bloom should embody a character who passes through some sort of transforming crucible. Yet he learns nothing. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
The dialogue by screenwriter William Monahan is so leaden with import that it comes off as the sort of silly grandstanding of a 1980s Mattel action-figure commercial. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Gemma Tarlach)
Demands implausible leaps of its hero, the young Balian (Orlando Bloom). ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Gemma Tarlach)
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
The climax features a dandy battle, but getting to it requires sitting through nearly two hours of posturing and pontificating. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
Another in a recent line of sword-swinging epics that insists on adding ideas to bloody spectacle. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
If the picture isn't as engaging as it should have been, Scott's images still make it entrancing. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
Kingdom of Heaven lands somewhere between Oliver Stone's yawn-inducing Alexander and Troy, the Brad Pitt pecs flexer, as sand-and-sandal entertainment. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
The Crusades lasted just over 200 years, which is longer than Kingdom of Heaven , although not by as much as you might hope. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
Sacramento Bee (Carla Meyer)
What we are left with are beautifully choreographed fight scenes of massive scale and moderate interest. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Sacramento Bee (Carla Meyer)
The Movie Chicks
Balian (Orlando Bloom) is a blacksmith, minding his own business until his long-lost father (Liam Neeson) comes along and drags him off to the Holy Land to join the fight in the Crusades. Fortunately for him, he goes from sword maker to master ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at The Movie Chicks
USA Today (Mike Clark)
Dramatically, even a persuasive supporting cast gets Heaven only so far. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at USA Today (Mike Clark)
The New York Times (Manohla Dargis)
Scott's ravishing visual style, characterized by a fetishistic attention to surface detail and unrelenting beauty, can work wonders with big subjects, but this is also a director who needs actors powerful enough to shoulder narrative and emotional ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at The New York Times (Manohla Dargis)
TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Ultimately, despite striving mightily to give everyone a fair shake, the film kindled the ire of conservative Christians and Muslims anyway. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Liam Lacey)
The movie espouses a kind of Unitarian ecumenical egalitarianism that has about as much to do with medieval times as quantum physics. No one should be offended except -- of course -- those who like movies that excite the mind as well as the pulse. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Liam Lacey)
About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)
Ridley, Ridley, Ridley. I enjoyed your “Gladiator” and marveled at your ability to make the past come alive, so it pains me to say “Kingdom of Heaven” is no “Gladiator.” It’s not even a “Troy.” It’s ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)
Joe Critic.com (Sam Bear)
In Kingdom of Heaven, Orlando Bloom plays Balian, a common blacksmith who, on the arrival of his knighted father, sets forth on a journey that will lead him to Jerusalem. There, in a period marked by a silence between the second and third crusades, ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Joe Critic.com (Sam Bear)
Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
Like the recent epics "Troy" and "Alexander," Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven" is likely to attract twice as much business in foreign markets as it will starting today in North America.
As an audience, we're not much interested in ancient ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
There’s so much potentially great material in medieval history for filmmakers to investigate that it’s a pity when a picture like this flubs the opportunity by dumbing things down and imposing modern perspectives on a far different time, in the ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Slow-moving, occasionally dull epic that remains watchable due to some decent performances and an action-heavy climax. Better than King Arthur and Alexander but not as much fun as Troy.You’d think director Ridley Scott would have had enough of swords ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
A mostly lumbering, occasionally rousing epic that walks a bizarre line between historical fact and Hollywood wishful thinking. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
When he isn't busy with science-fiction hits such as "Alien" and "Blade Runner," or military movies like "Black Hawk Down" and "G.I. Jane," action specialist Ridley Scott sometimes opens the history books for material. Five years ago he struck Oscar and ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
...may be the first hippie war film. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
A confused and confusing compromise at best and a dull obfuscation of history at worst. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Edward Norton as King Baldwin IV in Kingdom of HeavenUnderwhelming is the first word that comes to mind when pondering summer's first big release. Dull is a close second. Epics are a tough call. Hordes of swarming soldiers (typically computerized), ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
Scott once again proves himself an inept director of action. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
The Independent
"What does Jerusalem mean to you?" Balian asks Saladin at the end of the movie. "Nothing", he replies, then stops himself and says, "Everything". This could be a nice illustration of a weary leader's ambivalence, or it could be another refusal on the ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at The Independent
Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
A mostly lumbering, occasionally rousing epic that walks a bizarre line between historical fact and Hollywood wishful thinking. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
FilmFocus.Co.UK (Joe Utichi)
Paint-by-numbers historical epics have become somewhat of a Hollywood hallmark over recent years. As cinema progresses through them, two simple rules have been followed. Stories have gotten progressively worse and invading armies have gotten ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at FilmFocus.Co.UK (Joe Utichi)
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Hopelessly naive ... The final impression is that a few bad apples were all that prevented the Christians and Muslims from joining hands and participating in sing-alongs. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Scott wants to have his Crusade and rue it, too. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
A bewildering mishmash of battle scenes and tenuous relationships that calls for heartthrob Orlando Bloom to save the day in a rags-to-riches hurry. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Cinema Strikes Back (David Austin)
Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
While Ridley Scott was busy filling THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, his saga of the Crusades, with sweeping vistas of warfare, oceans of soldiers bent on carnage, and forests of siege engines gliding purposefully towards ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
JoeCritic.com (Sam Bear)
Providence Journal (Michael Janusonis)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Neeson plays yet another mentor (really, it's actually getting silly now) and, as usual, walks off with the entire thing - the film suffers considerably once he carks it. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
The movie flirts with ideas and then runs away from them, so ultimately, it's not much more than a dishonest, spectacular bore. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
Kingdom of Heaven seems ready to anger everyone but the atheists and the action crowd. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
filmcritic.com (Annette Cardwell)
Just isn't the larger-than-life, heartrending Crusades masterpiece we were praying Gladiator's director would deliver. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at filmcritic.com (Annette Cardwell)
Boxoffice Magazine (Wade Major)
Glossy, popcorn entertainment at best. And that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if the subject were anything other than the Crusades. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Boxoffice Magazine (Wade Major)
TV Guide's Movie Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Scott's skill at handling of action sequences is thrilling, but Bloom lacks the gravity and raw charisma his role demands and robs the film of narrative urgency. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Seattle Weekly (Tim Appelo)
As a war hero, Orlando Bloom reminds me of the nickname Truman Capote's father gave him: Little Miss Mouse Fart. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Seattle Weekly (Tim Appelo)
Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)
This is muddled and oppressive storytelling (the script is by William Monahan) dotted with elaborate but weightless battle sequences. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)
Netflix (James Rocchi)
Ridley Scott returns to Gladiator-scale ambitions with a Crusades epic that's big but boring. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at Netflix (James Rocchi)
New York Times (Manohla Dargis)
Ridley Scott's plaintive epic about the Crusades is an ostensibly fair-minded, even-handed account of one of the least fair-minded, even-handed chapters in human history. ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at New York Times (Manohla Dargis)
The Movie Insider (Jack Moore)
Of course, I can't go much farther in a review about a Ridley Scott epic without talking about the battle scenes. They are abysmal. The same problems that applied to Troy and Alexander apply here—Scott's action is too dark and unfocused, turning ...read the complete Kingdom of Heaven movie review at The Movie Insider (Jack Moore)
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