So what is the deal with Orlando Bloom? Ever since he swung onto the scene with his terrific performance as Legolas in the exceptionally awesome “Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, it seems like he’s been in one ‘swordplay’ movie after another. “Pirates of the Caribbean” (and its sequels), “Troy”, and now “Kingdom of Heaven.” Thankfully it looks like he might escape the chains of stereotyping since he is currently starring in Cameron Crowe’s “Elizabethtown”, minus his naturally British accent I might add. “Kingdom of Heaven” is one of those historical big-budget films by Ridley Scott, which are meant to elicit all the grandeur and spectacle that was goes along with war and political intrigue. A sand-and-sandal epic, I believe they are called. He first visited this genre with “1492: Conquest of Peace”, then later with the slightly overrated “Gladiator.” (Don’t get me wrong, “Gladiator” was a really good film, just not quit as good as it was made out to be.)

In “Kingdom of Heaven”, Orlando Bloom plays Balian, the illegitimate son of Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson). When Godfrey discovers a great tragedy that has befallen his family, he convinces Balian to join him on a journey to the Holy Land. Here he believes he can be pardoned for all of his sins. Along the way, they are ambushed and Balian is forced to continue alone. He assumes the identity of the Baron of Ibelin and winds up in Jerusalem. He soon finds himself caught up in a web of intrigue and political wrangling, which is quickly moving the city into the throes of war.

A few months back, Fox Home Entertainment released the film on DVD, which of course was how I first saw it. As expected, I was blown away by the performances given by Neeson, Brendan Gleeson (Christian Chatillon), Edward Norton (The Leper King), and especially Jeremy Irons, who was magnificent as the military leader, Tiberius. Unfortunately all of these performances overshadowed that of Bloom’s. Orlando Bloom is a really good actor, but he seemed woefully out of place in is role here. Much too young and boyish to be believable as a warrior, or as a leader of men, he moves about from scene to scene like a kid in a high school play. His delivery of speeches to the soldiers, while full of bravado, really just didn’t come across with the power that would have been needed to gain the respect of those he was leading.

But where the movie carried its saving graces came in the overall spectacle of it. I was amazed by the massive scenes of battle. The enormity of the production, in spite of the CGI that was used for some of the sequences, was mind-boggling. Scott has a terrific eye when it comes to the shooting of scenes. His work alongside cinematographer John Mathieson delivered sequences that were truly breathtaking. But as far as editing goes, the story felt rushed, even though it ran 2 hours and 20 minutes. I had heard that there was a longer director’s cut that offered another hour or so and despite the weakness of Bloom’s overall performance, led me to believe it might be a much better film. I was hoping would be another release down the road.

A few weeks ago, I learned that another release had indeed been in the works. A massive 4-disc set that offered a longer cut of the film as well as hours of additional extra features came my way shortly after and I set aside some time… ok… a LOT of time to watch it all.

As was the case in the original release, Fox delivered a stellar transfer, which was most noticeable in the audio portion of the immense battle sequences. Where the original release did not contain any commentary, with the exception of an on-screen text fact guide (which is included in the new release), here we have 3 full commentaries that span the 2 discs that house the film. In the first we hear from Scott, writer William Monahan and Orlando Bloom. Listening to it, I don’t believe they recorded their commentary together, but it is well edited and follows the flow of the film very well. The three chime in with little anecdotes about the overall shoot as well as details in regards to some of the production difficulties. They also relate a bit about the differences between the two versions of the film.

The following commentary offers executive producer Lisa Ellzey, visual effects supervisor Wesley Sewell and first assistant director Adam Somner the opportunity to talk about their involvement in the overall production, from script development to the specific special effects. The final commentary comes from film editor Dody Dorn, who focuses more on her perspective on the differences between the two versions. All of these commentaries are feature length, so you may wish to set up different times to listen to them, if you are so inclined.

The additional 2 discs deliver a documentary entitled The Path to Redemption, which rivals the film in its length. It follows the production from its roots all the way through the finished product and beyond. I'm working on a ton of reviews this week, so I'm not going to go into detail about each and every section of the documentary, but will include a detailed breakdown of what is included at the end of this review. Suffice to say, no stone is left unturned. If you want to see screen tests and cast rehearsals… you got 'em. You want to hear from experts on how much of the film gets right in terms of the period… you've got it. Curious as to what the press junket was like… look no further. Interestingly enough, there were a extra features on the original release that are not included here, so you may want to hang on to your other copy, again if you're so inclined.
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As for the film itself, the question was answered as to whether or not the Director's Cut would be a better version of the film. In my opinion, the film fared much, much better in its expanded edition. Where this is most noticeable is on the character development. The original cut was a good film, but as I mentioned before, it felt rushed. These additional scenes, as well as some highly re-edited sequences, create a more fulfilling film experience. The overall flow of the film seems a bit slower, but as opposed to being a detriment; it instead allows the character's actions and motivations to be clearer to the viewer. Oddly enough, even Bloom's performance appears stronger, which proves that an actor's talent can often be tweaked one way or the other by a clever editor.

If you are going to see any version of Kingdom of Heaven (and I suggest you do), this is certainly the one I recommend. And suffice to say, this DVD release rates up there amongst the best produced in the past decade.

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, David Thewlis, Eva Green, Edward Norton
Extras:
Disk 1:
*DIRECTOR'S CUT Part One
*Introduction by Sir Ridley Scott
*AUDIO COMMENTARIES: Director Ridley Scott and Writer William Monahan by executive producer Lisa Ellzey, film editor Dody Dorn, visual effects supervisor Wes Sewell and first assistant director Adam Somner
*THE ENGINER'S GUIDE
Disk 2:
*DIRECTOR'S CUT Part Two
*AUDIO COMMENTARIES (Continued): Director Ridley Scott and Writer William Monahan by executive producer Lisa Ellzey, film editor Dody Dorn, visual effects supervisor Wes Sewell and first assistant director Adam Somner
*THE ENGINER'S GUIDE (Cont'd)
Story Notes (Text & Images)
Disk 3:
*THE PATH TO REDEMPTION DOCUMENTARY - Part I DEVELOPMENT
Part I: Good Intentions (Featurette)
"Tripoli" Overview & Gallery (Text & Images)
First Draft Screenplay by William Monahan (Text)
Story Notes (Text & Images)
Location Scout Gallery (Images)
*PRE-PRODUCTION
Part II: Faith and Courage (Featurette)
Screen Tests (Video and Commentary)
Cast Rehearsals (Video)
Costume & Weapon Design Featurette (Video)
Production Design / Conceptual Art / Costume Galleries (Text & Images)
*PRODUCTION: SPAIN
Part III: The Pilgrimage Begins (Featurette)
Creative Accuracy: The Scholars Speak (Video)
Storyboard Comparisons (Multi-Angle Video & Images)
Photo Galleries (Text & Images)
Disk 4:
*THE PATH TO REDEMPTION (Continued)
*PRODUCTION: MOROCCO
Part IV: Into The Promised Land (Featurette)
Unholy War: Mounting The Siege (Video)
Storyboard Comparisons (Multi-Angle Video & Images)
Photo Galleries (Text & Images)
*POST-PRODUCTION
Part V: The Burning Bush (Featurette)
Deleted & Alternate Scenes (Video & Commentary)
Sound Design Suite (Video & Audio)
Visual Effects Breakdowns (Video & Commentary)
*RELEASE
Part VI: Sins and Absolution (Featurette)
Trailers & TV Spots (Video & Commentary)
ShoWest Presentation (Video)
Press Junket Walkthrough (Video)
Japanese & London Premieres (Video)
Poster Explorations: Domestic & International (Images)
The Director's Cut & DVD Campaign (Video & Images)

Specifications: Widescreen, DTS 5.1 EX Digital Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Fox
Release Date: 5/23/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website

We'll give Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut an A.