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List Price: $34.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 817
Released: May 23, 2006 |
| Our Price: $17.00 |
| Used Price: $16.99 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
From Ridley Scott the visionary director of Black Hawk Down and Gladiator comes this spectacular epic of courage honor and adventure. Orlando Bloom stars as Balian a young Frenchman in Medieval Jerusalem during the Crusades who having lost everything finds redemption in a heroic fight against overwhelming forces to save his people and fulfill his destiny as a knight.System Requirements:Running Time: 144 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 024543241454 Manufacturer No: 2234147
Description of Kingdom of Heaven - The Director's Cut (Four-Disc Special Edition):
It's hard to believe Ridley Scott's handsome epic won't become the cinematic touchstone of the Crusades for years to come. Kingdom of Heaven is greater than the sum of its parts, delivering a vital, mostly engrossing tale following Balian (Orlando Bloom), a lonely French blacksmith who discovers he's a noble heir and takes his father's (Liam Neeson) place in the center of the universe circa 1184: Jerusalem. Here, grand battles and backdoor politics are key as Scott and first-time screenwriter William Monahan fashion an excellent storyline to tackle the centuries-long conflict. Two forward-thinking kings, Baldwin (Edward Norton in an uncredited yet substantial role) and Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), hold an uneasy truce between Christians (who hold the city) and Muslims while factions champ at the bit for blood. There are good and evildoers on both sides, with the Knights Templar taking the brunt of the blame; Balian plans to find his soul while protecting Baldwin and the people. The look of the film, as nearly everything is from Scott, is impressive: his CGI-infused battle scenes rival the LOTR series and, with cinematographer John Mathieson, create postcard beauty with snowy French forests and the vast desert (filmed in Morocco and Spain). An excellent supporting cast, including Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and David Thewlis, also help make the head and heart of the film work. Many critics pointed out that Bloom doesn't have the gravitas of Russell Crowe in the lead (then again, who does?), but it's the underdeveloped character and not the actor that hurts the film and impacts its power. Balian isn't given much more to do than be sullen and give an occasional big speech, alongside his perplexing abilities for warfare tactics and his wandering moral compass (whose sole purpose seems to be to put a love scene in the movie). Note: all the major characters except Neeson's are based on fact, but many are heavily fictionalized. --Doug Thomas
On the DVD
The Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut is truly a DVD set of biblical proportions. If you are familiar with Ridley Scott's excellent, albeit massive, extended DVD sets for Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, you have a pretty good idea of what you are in for with this set. The biggest difference--unlike the Gladiator Director's Cut, which had some nice new scenes that really didn't add much to the film--is that this cut of Kingdom of Heaven is a drastic improvement over the theatrical release. This extensive 194-minute version brings the film back to Scott's original vision, maintaining an impressive balance of history, plot, and believable period reenactments and battle scenes. The best way to describe the improvements on the extended version is the film is now able to breathe a bit more, it's less choppy, and it has stronger character development. In addition to the extended scenes (which now span two discs in a clunky Road Show presentation), there is an exhaustive three-hour, six-part documentary detailing every aspect of filmmaking from the development of the "idea" through post-production and release. Also included are three feature-length commentary tracks, the best being the first with Ridley Scott, writer William Monahan, and actor Orlando Bloom. Included on the original release but missing from this set are the A&E/History Channel documentaries, the theatrical cut of the film, and "The Pilgrim's Guide," the fantastic text commentary which pointed out the historical anecdotes as the film played. Fans of the film and completists will probably want to hold onto both versions. However, those picking up Kingdom of Heaven for the first time need only to look to this definitive version. --Rob Bracco
Kingdom of Heaven - The Director's Cut (Four-Disc Special Edition) Reviews:
One of my favorites 
2008-09-25 - This a movie that everytime that you see it you notice something new. It is going to become a timeless classic! Part history, part love story, part religion, part war what else do you want in a movie Drama, action, love, history ...............
Awesome
2008-09-23 - The uncut version sure filled in all the parts you didn't see in the other video of it. I liked it alot
Money well spent for the movie.
Well Made Director's Cut
2008-09-16 - This movie had really nice sets, and a great story. There is only about 20 minutes of action but overall it's a great movie.
Nothing... Everything! 
2008-09-10 - The Director's Cut is the real version of the film, butched to be shown in cinemas. I'm getting tired of this studio practice, after all, I pay to get into a theater (I'm writing without spelling check, so cover your eyes and forget my writing sins). This is a fun take into the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, but is short in action for impatient viewers and too light in ideas for those looking for intellectual nourishment. Phrases about religion and tolerance abound in the film, and this is welcomed. However, the motives of some of the characters, especially the ones designated to be the villains, are not explained at all. Why Guy needs war so much? We know why Saladin does, but what about his foes? As in history, Saladin and the king are the most memorable characters here. Every time they speak we listen carrefully, every movement a sign of the times and the will of the nations behind them. It is a film of spectacle, as well as a political allegory. Tolerance and Jerusalem, sounds familiar? Well, my disjointed review comes to an end, and to add another point to a list of random thougths: Orlando Bloom was good in the movie, and a weak leader he isn't. Maybe the writers forced some blatant lines about self-made men out of his troath, but he fought bravely for those words. Saalam aleikum.
Much, Much Better Than The Theatrical Release 
2008-09-02 - This is the film that should have been seen by everyone the theaters. The extended edition contains all of the character development that was missing in the original. In addition, there is a bit more attention to Balian's faith journey. I would still have liked to have seen more in that regard but happy for what there is now in the extended DVD.
