It's 1184 and Balian (Bloom) is in mourning, having recently buried his wife and child. Into his life during this dark period comes Baron Godfrey of Ibelin (Neeson), who has decided to make himself known to his only son. The younger man agrees to accompany his father on a journey to Jerusalem to atone for his sins and those of his late wife. Once in Jerusalem Balian becomes the ally of the leper king, Baldwin IV (Edward Norton), and the Marshall of Jerusalem, Tiberias (Irons). One of the most influential men in the king's inner circle, Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas), takes an instant dislike to Balian, but that doesn't stop him from having an affair with Guy's wife, Sibylla, the Princess of Jerusalem (Eva Green). Meanwhile, in the lands surrounding the Holy City, the Arab leader Saladin (Massoud) is massing an army of 200,000 men to take back Jerusalem from the Christians who have occupied it for 100 years.

The character development is minimal but this doesn't take away from the entertainment factor of Kingdom of Heaven. Scott has excelled in the battle scenes, particularly the siege on Jerusalem, and cannot help drawing comparisons to Lord of the Rings (the siege in particular) and his own Gladiator. This is a film that holds appeal for a wide audience. Just close your eyes in the bloody bits!