Kingdom of Heaven

39% of critics liked it

72% of users liked it

Orlando Bloom, Eva Green
In theaters May 06, 2005
R, 2 hr. 25 min.

Movie Info

Cast: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Marton Csokas, Michael Sheen, Liam Neeson, Edward Norton, Ghassan Massoud
Director: Ridley Scott
Rated: R
Running Time: 2 hr. 25 min.
Genre: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
Theater Release: May 06, 2005
DVD Release: Oct 11, 2005
Synopsis: Ridley Scott directed this epic-scale historical drama inspired by the events of the Crusades of the 12th century. Balian (Orlando Bloom) is a humble French blacksmith who is searching for a reason to go on after the death of his wife and children. Balian is approached by Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson), a fabled knight who has briefly returned home after serving in the East. Godfrey informs Balian that he is his true father, and urges the blacksmith to join him as he and his forces journey to

Critic Reviews

  • Desson Thomson, Washington Post
    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. More...
  • Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
    Is Orlando Bloom enough of a star to sustain a $100 million costume drama? The answer turns out to be yes. More...
  • Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
    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. More...
  • Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
    Considerably more ambitious and significantly less satisfying than Gladiator. More...
  • David Edelstein, Slate
    An epic about Christian crusaders who happen to be liberal humanists willing to die for the sake of religious tolerance. That's just ... weird. More...
  • Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
    Mostly uninvolving; a movie you admire for its craft rather than enjoying for its passion. More...
  • Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
    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. More...
  • Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
    Scott's battles are ferocious things of grim beauty -- bloody, personal and deafening crashes of armored men and horses colliding at full gallop. More...
  • Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
    As Balian, a blacksmith turned Crusader, Orlando Bloom should embody a character who passes through some sort of transforming crucible. Yet he learns nothing. More...
  • Lou Lumenick, New York Post
    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. More...