Two productions hang over the head of this - Braveheart and Game of Thrones.
Braveheart was silly, and full of Mel Gibson close ups and violence but was great drama - you understood every character, the relationships were clear. You had noble Wallace who turns psycho after his wife is killed; his wacky sidekicks; the evil Edward II and his weak gay son; the gay son's wife who lusted after Wallace; the uncertain Robert the Bruce who learns to be a man watching Wallace. It had a clear structure - happy Wallace, romantic Wallace, dead wife, revenge, initial triumph, betrayal, execution, posthumous triumph.
Compare it with this - you've got Robert the Bruce hanging out with the future Edward II. He seems like a decent guy. He decides to rebel because...? Um Wallace is killed? Who we don't meet. He kills a person in a church. Gets married. Fights a war. It's tricky but he gets there.
You understood character's purpose in Braveheart. I struggle to recall any from Outlaw King. One of his mates was a bit psycho. Edward I was a bit ruthless. Edward II was a bit incompetent. The wife had a bit of spirit.
There's no passion in this. No drive. No love for Scotland or hatred of England. There's none of the complexity of Game of Thrones in terms of character or politics.
There are some good bits. An opening tracking shot at least shows thought. There's some sure fire material like the capture of Bruce's family - the execution of his brother (would've have more impact if we'd gotten to know him better) and imprisonment in a cage of the women. The production values are fantastic- sets, costumes, locations. It feels authentic. The acting is fine - I'm just not sure Chris Pine is a star. No one disgraces themselves. It was just underwhelming.
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