Ridley Scott has mastered many genres, from the sci-fi and horror of Alien to the pitch-black comedy of Matchstick Men, but the genre he’s most closely ᴀssociated with is the historical epic. But his historical opuses haven’t all worked; they’re a mixed bag of the good (Gladiator, The Last Duel), the bad (Napoleon, 1492: Conquest of Paradise), and the ugly (Exodus: Gods and Kings). Kingdom of Heaven falls somewhere in the middle. It’s not engaging or emotionally resonant enough to live up to The Last Duel, but it’s too well-crafted and tonally consistent to be lumped in with Napoleon.

In a (very) fictionalized retelling of the events leading up to the Third Crusade, Kingdom of Heaven attempts to bring some religious commentary to a Gladiator-style action epic. It sets up an interesting theme in its exploration of the inherent contradictions of a holy war — a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly conflict in the name of an all-loving god — but William Monahan’s script only pays surface-level lip service to that powerful idea; it gets too bogged down in the militaristic specifics of the war to break down the ideologies and hypocrisies behind it.

Orlando Bloom Doesn’t Have What It Takes To Carry A Prestige Historical Epic

Bloom Can’t Match The Shakespearean Gravitas Of Co-Stars Like Jeremy Irons & Liam Neeson

I like Orlando Bloom as an actor — he’s great as Legolas and Will Turner, and he gave a hilarious turn in the recent Deep Cover — but I don’t think he has what it takes to carry a prestige historical epic like this. His co-stars, ranging from Liam Neeson to Brendan Gleeson to Jeremy Irons, all bring a Shakespearean gravitas that elevates the writing, but Bloom is a tailor-made Hollywood movie star, not a chameleonic thespian. Bloom’s attempts to match Neeson and Gleeson’s nuanced, understated line deliveries just come off as wooden and unemotional.

Edward Norton proves that there are no small parts, only small actors, as he gives a much more memorable performance than Bloom in a much more limited role. As King Baldwin IV, Norton is covered up by a creepy mask, so all he has to convey character and emotion are his eyes and his voice. A lot of actors might’ve been tempted to overdo it under that mask to compensate for their face being concealed, but Norton isn’t deterred by it. His work here reminds me of a Marlon Brando performance; he keeps you captivated while doing very little.

Kingdom Of Heaven Is Visually Stunning, If Emotionally Unengaging

John Mathieson’s Cinematography Is Spectacular

Even Scott’s worst movies are gorgeously sH๏τ; House of Gucci and Robin Hood are both really pretty to look at. Kingdom of Heaven doesn’t always work on a narrative level, but thanks to cinematographer John Mathieson, it’s a visual treat. This movie is full of stunning imagery: sun-beaten desert vistas; knights riding on horseback across a mountain with a gray, overcast sky capturing their misery; cold, blue-hued forests with the slightest glimmer of soft light peeking through the trees, offset by the orange embers of a flickering campfire.

And, while the story and characters might not always be compelling, the action certainly is. Scott might be the best in the business when it comes to staging battle scenes. The battles in Kingdom of Heaven are constructed with the rhythm and precision of a good piece of music. When the larger army ominously surrounds the much smaller army, it’s the crescendo; the moment their weapons clash and blood is spilled is the first big drop. The one-on-one swordfights are just as thrilling. It really feels like anyone could take a lethal blow at any moment; no one has plot armor.

Kingdom of Heaven gets off to a meandering start — it sets up a lot of plotlines and character conflicts that go nowhere — and even after it settles into a single narrative lane, it never really gets on track. It’s one of the few films that’s vastly improved by its director’s cut. Most director’s cuts make superfluous additions that drag out the narrative and dilute the themes (see: Apocalypse Now Redux), but Scott’s re-edited version of Kingdom of Heaven feels like it fills in all the missing pieces from the theatrical cut and completes Scott’s vision.

Kingdom of Heaven is now streaming on Hulu.