Most audiences have, at least tangentially, come into contact with the legend, play, or overture that inspires the new historical epic, William Tell

. Set in the early 1300s in Switzerland, William Tell follows its тιтle character, played by the grim and gritty Claes Bang, as he leads the fight against the Austrian Habsburg dynasty. Boasting a strong ensemble cast with Ben Kingsley, Connor Swindells, and Golshifteh Farahani in supporting roles, William Tell has to move quickly to capture the ups and downs of its timely story. Unfortunately, it’s hard to keep up.

Nick Hamm wrote, directed, and produced William Tell, and his vision comes through during the two hours and 13 minutes we spend with Tell as he feeds the flames of revolution. It’s a relevant story, and its appeal to keep fighting and never bend the knee to the oppressor can’t be missed, even among the flowery period dialogue. Of course, there are plenty of anachronisms, and Hamm doesn’t shy away from making the story more contemporary. However, this doesn’t bother me. The changes Hamm makes don’t detract from the potency of the central message; if anything, they enhance it.

William Tell Buckles Under The Weight Of Its Epic Story

With So Many Plots & Characters To Juggle, William Tell Loses Focus Quickly

If there’s one word that aptly describes all of William Tell​​​​​, it’s ambitious. It’s an enormous story with an even bigger legacy attached to it, and I see why Hamm and the production team thought this was the right time to bring it to the screen. Historical epics are in, and there’s enough gore and well-imagined action sequences to keep modern audiences interested, but William Tell doesn’t make good on its promise. We’re rushed to keep up with the changing locations and the sudden appearance of new characters, which detracts from the emotional appeals it wants to make.

There are many elements I appreciate about the project, from its attempts to bring women into the narrative to the vivid colors and fun period sets and costuming. If William Tell had been the same slate-gray palette that most action epics favor these days, I probably wouldn’t have gotten through it. These aspects, and the clear love that the filmmakers have for the genre, show me there’s a heart and soul in William Tell worth exploring, but the execution of the narrative is too flawed to be ignored.

William Tell is a rare movie that I would argue should have been longer. If there’s any story that could justify a three-hour runtime, it’s William Tell, and the pacing would have benefited from this length enormously. He’s a strong hero, and the movie gives him concrete desires and a love for his family that only makes us like him more. However, he and the other characters are forced to be one-dimensional because there simply isn’t time to explore them. Unfortunately, this means we feel nothing when they fall in battle and nothing when they win.

Clunkily setting itself up for a potential sequel in the final moments of the film, William Tell isn’t the kind of story that has franchise potential. Though there are many acts left to adapt, the film isn’t Lord of the Rings or Gladiator, even if the influences from projects like these are evident. The fact that William Tell still has more story to explore doesn’t leave me wanting more; it leaves me frustrated and confused. The promised revolution of William Tell doesn’t really happen, and the scale of the final battle is just as disappointing.

Though The Performances Are Strong, The Characters Get Lost In The Sprawling Ensemble

Some Of The Actors Stand Out, But This Isn’t Enough To Keep Me Invested

Swindells, best known for his work in Sєx Education, is a highlight of the film, as his character, Gessler, has the fun part of playing the evil, unscrupulous villain. Though it’s easy to hate him, he’s much more compelling than the staunchly heroic Tell, who gets lost in the narrative despite being the тιтular character. The characters had to be archetypal because of the folk tales and legends, but the motivations are just as murky as the character development. There are too many of them to resonate emotionally with anyone.

William Tell is the kind of movie I desperately want to like more than I do, as it’s more innovative than many traditional copy-and-paste historical epics. I like the look and feel, and I love spending time in the vivid world that Hamm crafts, but I was grasping at straws to find something to care about. The message and themes of revolution are compelling, but somehow, William Tell made them feel stale and disjointed. I would be surprised if William Tell managed to clinch a sequel after this, but there might be hope for a better adaptation someday.

William Tell will be available to watch in theaters on April 4.