TLDR ~ I liked Kingdom but still feel as though it was at least an hour too long and didn't entirely fulfill its purpose. As the first chapter of a new trilogy, one can only hope later chapters pay off what this one started to establish.
Even with 2.5 hrs(!) of runtime, Kingdom struggled to fully flesh out all the new characters and concepts it introduced. Obviously, it is possible for them to revist storylines in later chapters, but in this film, they were either glossed over or semi-throwaway concepts used for cool scenery. A few attempts at humor came off juvenile and unnecessary, while early character traits prove illogical as the story progresses.
That said, the film is stunning to look at, which CGI blending very well with practical elements. Landmarks and locations are the perfect mix of distorted by war, wear and tear over time, being recaptured by nature, etc yet familiar enough to recognize at a glance where the film takes place. Script is OK, even when it feels like it either cribbed off other films or the characters are doing so on their own... Does that mean (that film) is in the same universe?! Oooh, now that's a film we need to see!
First chapters in a soft reboot are tough. You have to pay homage to the original story without being able to fully tap into what made it great. In Dawn, Rise, and War, we were able to follow an important character, care for them, and watch that character develop as the stakes continue to increase. Kingdom attempts to raise the stakes before we fully know or care what's happening. Maybe this will pay off in 4-5 years, but walking out of the theather today, I didn't get the same sense of resolution after every film that I felt from the first 8 (even the ones that were decidedly worse films).
Verdict: Enjoyable, but catch a matinee or just wait to watch it at home.
Even with 2.5 hrs(!) of runtime, Kingdom struggled to fully flesh out all the new characters and concepts it introduced. Obviously, it is possible for them to revist storylines in later chapters, but in this film, they were either glossed over or semi-throwaway concepts used for cool scenery. A few attempts at humor came off juvenile and unnecessary, while early character traits prove illogical as the story progresses.
That said, the film is stunning to look at, which CGI blending very well with practical elements. Landmarks and locations are the perfect mix of distorted by war, wear and tear over time, being recaptured by nature, etc yet familiar enough to recognize at a glance where the film takes place. Script is OK, even when it feels like it either cribbed off other films or the characters are doing so on their own... Does that mean (that film) is in the same universe?! Oooh, now that's a film we need to see!
First chapters in a soft reboot are tough. You have to pay homage to the original story without being able to fully tap into what made it great. In Dawn, Rise, and War, we were able to follow an important character, care for them, and watch that character develop as the stakes continue to increase. Kingdom attempts to raise the stakes before we fully know or care what's happening. Maybe this will pay off in 4-5 years, but walking out of the theather today, I didn't get the same sense of resolution after every film that I felt from the first 8 (even the ones that were decidedly worse films).
Verdict: Enjoyable, but catch a matinee or just wait to watch it at home.
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