A minor historical epic from Sweden. Expert on a technical level, but fairly hollow. The locations (from the lush, snowy forests of Sweden to the deserts of the Holy Land) are diverse and gorgeous, but lead Joakim Nätterqvist gives a dead-eyed, charisma-free performance (where art thou, Russell Crowe?). The screenplay feels underdeveloped, crowded, and rushed. The end credits reveal the film is in fact based on a trilogy of novels, which isn't surprising. Nothing--not the central love story, not the various political and religious tensions, not the development of the hero himself--is given any breathing room. A few recognizable faces (Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Nyqvist) are squandered in miniscule, flavorless supporting roles.

C-