Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut Roadshow Version)

Top positive review

The Director’s Cut is a Masterpiece (the theater version was not)

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018

I didn’t like the movie “Kingdom of God” very much, but the full director’s cut is beautiful. It was a mistake for the studio to chop it up like they did. The director’s cut is a masterpiece with tender moments and better character development that allows the talents of each actor (even the minor, supporting actors) to shine through brilliantly.

42 people found this helpful

Top critical review

All critical reviews›

Midhersand

Far superior to theatrical version

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2019

Close to my favorite Ridley Scott film. Very enjoyable, captivating and entertaining excursion into a blended fictional history. Much of the dialog serves as relevant and poignant sooth-sayer-istic adages to reflect on.

The concept of the superiority of individual choice and will to action over dogmatic belief or blind faith rises to the fore in many scenes.

Bonus: The motivations of the main characters make much more sense with this extended director's cut. Gaps in theatrical cut left gaps in my brain.

Sort by

Filter by

3,201 total ratings, 416 with reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

muttman

the way it was supposed to be.

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2015

Verified Purchase

The directors cut is the only way to watch this movie. It did poorly at the box office because the studio execs were too short sighted to let Ridley Scott send it to the theaters with out cutting it to ribbons. The directors cut is fabulous.

88 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kid at Heart and Renaissance Man

The Director’s Cut is a Masterpiece (the theater version was not)

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

42 people found this helpful

Helpful

A journey to save the soul

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2020

Verified Purchase

First of all, you really need to see the director's cut. Initially, I thought that the movie was excessively long and got confused about the relevance of some scenes, but in the end everything made perfect sense together. I first watched the regular version (theatrical cut), and it felt incomplete.

On the surface, the movie is about jihad and crusades, or the fight between Christians and Muslims. The concept "jihad" is often misunderstood. "Jihad is classified into inner ("greater") jihad, which involves a struggle against one's own base impulses, and external ("lesser") jihad, which is further subdivided into jihad of the pen/tongue (debate or persuasion) and jihad of the sword." (Source: Wikipedia). Similar to the concept of jihad, this movie is also easily misunderstood. It is not about war, or at least, it is not the main point. The protagonist is on a crusade, but the external aspect of his crusade or his fight against Saladin is just a plot tool to illustrate his internal crusade against temptations. Apart from this, the movie makes two important points: (1) Religious fanaticism is a result of greed and other character flaws. (2) Holy wars are never truly holy, they are always excuses to acquire land and wealth.

In the end, it does not matter who wins the "external" or "lesser" battle. The ultimate question is: Will Balian resist the temptations surrounding him and save his soul?

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Great surprise

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2019

Verified Purchase

Even for someone that enjoyed the screen release it was quite clear that the storyline was missing linking parts. The Kingdom of Heaven was a mega-movie must ... another Ishtar. I still watched it a dozen times over the intervening years and had mostly forgotten about it.

I next ran across perusing Amazon Prime Video. That it was such a more extended playtime than the original, I gave in to an afternoon.

What a treat. This director's cut causes pause to wonder what the studio execs were thinking of editing the storyline out? The directors cut is a wholly different and complete movie.

Mostly historically accurate, the Director’s Cut is a 5-star viewing delight.

An extended soundtrack is played. The Original soundtrack was outstanding in its own right. The Director’s cut additions are a mystery. No titles or attribution is provided beyond the Original soundtrack. I’d love to find the Director’s Cut soundtrack. It must be a studio contract secret.

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Justin Han Yee Lui

Longer and different cut

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

I couldn't remember the first time I saw it, and as my buddies and I watched the extended version, they noted that the uncut scenes changed the dynamic of the store. It flowed very differently than what was originally released. And though it was 3 hours long, we were on vacation and it kept us entertained.

So if you have time and wanted a different experience on a movie already watched, this might be the one to add to your filmography.

24 people found this helpful

Helpful

DR M

Great Movie if you understand the history and the context in which story occurs...

Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is a very interesting movie that retells the history of Jerusalem when the Crusaders lost the city to Saladin around 1100 AD. The movie is a combination of historical fact with a fictionalized story of a french blacksmith who becomes a knight for the King of Jerusalem and love interest to his sister. A good companion read to this movie is a book about the history of Jerusalem entitled, "Jerusalem - A biography" by Simon Sebag Montefiore. Actually, you should read the book prior to seeing the movie. The book puts the story and the movie scenes in context and make the story of the movie more incredible. In addition, it sheds light on the popular beliefs of the Christian Church during this period in time. For example, there was a pervasive view espoused by the French Pope of the Catholic Church that a crusade to the Holy Lands was an opportunity to cleanse your life of its mortal sins. Consequently, a crusade to the Holy Lands was popular and viewed by the faithful as something that they had to do. It also sheds light on the character of Saladin, the leader of the Muslims who was ultimately successful in taking back Jerusalem from the Christians. (By the way, the Muslims controlled the city until 1947 when it was partition by the UN in 1947/48). Great story and great history to learn and know.

72 people found this helpful

Helpful

David Johnson

A SOLID HIT

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

This movie is well written and directed, with all the action you'd expect from a Ridley Scott movie. The characters and action throughout this movie are an accurate portrayal of the history of the Crusades in the Middle East during the 12th Century. History buffs will watch this movie dozens of times.

Helpful

Max

Not 100 percent historically true

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2022

Verified Purchase

But a great film making and acting all all over. Great for the family.

Helpful

Tari D. Steward

Great Movie an Exposes the Lies behind Religious Wars in ancient history

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2020

Verified Purchase

Ridley Scott's BEST Masterpiece Epic Saga is movie magic at it's finest, and I LOVE that he released the Director's Cut which presents his Movie like He wanted to create it.

Helpful

CalNative

The continuity is there, vastly improving the story.

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2019

Verified Purchase

I saw the theater release first, and it just didn't make sense. When I found the director's cut on blue ray, it was obviously a well done Ridley Scott movie, with all the important scenes and events included. Can't believe the hash "they" made of it for theater release.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Need customer service? Click here

‹ See all details for Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut Roadshow Version)

5 star		82%
4 star		11%
3 star		4%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut Roadshow Version)

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut Roadshow Version)

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut Roadshow Version) › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut Roadshow Version)

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut Roadshow Version)

›

Customer reviews