Rather than re-re-review the re-re-release, here's the Lounge lowdown on what's different and why it makes things better. By reinstating 40 minutes of extra footage to his Crusader epic, director Ridley Scott manages to...
MAKE ORLANDO BLOOM A BETTER ACTOR
In retrospect perhaps unfairly criticised for his performance in the original cut, here Bloom's character, Balian, is given a proper backstory, meaning we now fully understand his desire to seek the eponymous kingdom. We learn that Michael Sheen's priest is actually his brother, that Balian was in jail following his wife's suicide when the story begins, and that he was an engineer as well as a blacksmith, which explains his military mind come the siege of Jerusalem.
GIVE LIAM NEESON MORE SCREEN-TIME
Godfrey, Baron of Ibelin's need for atonement is more realised in the Director's Cut. Also, Ed Norton's masked leper character, King Baldwin IV, is expanded. In the theatrical version, Norton was little more than a cameo. Here, he has a fully formed role. We even see him lead his army into battle against Saladin (Ghassan Massoud).
MAKE SENSE OF EVA GREEN'S TRANSFORMATION
From Goth Princess to depressed psycho...
In the theatrical cut, Princess Sibylla sleeps with Balian and then, more or less, loses her mind. Now we understand why. Not only does Sibylla have a young son, but when she realises he's inflicted with leprosy just like her brother Baldwin, she decides to take his life shortly after he's been crowned king. Fair enough...
