William Tell Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

William Tell Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 2, 2025

For most people, the name William Tell conjures images of a crossbow accuracy contest involving a human target with an apple placed on their head. Perhaps there are even memories of “The Lone Ranger” and its use of Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” as its main theme, successfully bending the tone of the original work to fit a wild west setting. Writer/director Nick Hamm is looking to restore the tale’s integrity with “William Tell,” endeavoring to give an 1804 play (by Friedrich Schiller) the “Braveheart” treatment, out to conjure a big screen epic featuring numerous characters and various motivations. It’s a big movie, but only in certain moments, and Hamm isn’t an inspired helmer (“The Hole,” “Godsend,” “Killing Bono”), out to transform European tensions into a Shakespearean viewing experience, creating a sluggish offering of heroism. “William Tell” might be of value to those most patient with historical actioners, but casual viewers probably won’t walk away with any fresh appreciation of the man and his mission.

In 1307, Switzerland is controlled by Austria, putting King Albert (Ben Kingsley) in charge of bringing the country to its knees. Occupation is spreading, and King Albert seeks to extend power through the marriage of his niece, Bertha (Ellie Bamber), who’s secretly in love with Rudenz (Jonah Hauer-King), a Swiss prince. William Tell (Claes Bang) is a former knight looking to enjoy a quiet life after his time in The Crusades, living with wife Suna (Golshifteh Farahani), and their son, Walter (Tobian Jowlett). When a vicious Austrian tax collector is killed after raping and murdering a Swiss woman, revolution begins, and William is caught up in the waves of justice, armed with his crossbow and a desire to rid his country of enemy armies. Gessler (Connor Swindells) is King Albert’s top enforcer, tasked with stopping the rebellion, as William starts to collect an army eager to take on those claiming their lands.

To help pull audiences into the picture right away, Hamm opens “William Tell” with the apple target situation, using familiar iconography to make sure most viewers connect with the offering. We don’t know these characters yet, so suspense isn’t available, and once the showdown begins, the story rolls back three days, establishing a slightly quieter time for the country. However, this peace is broken by the tax collector, who’s interested in taking more than money, resulting in an attack that kills Austrian soldiers, triggering panic in the area. “William Tell” commences a journey of characters, as Hamm works to generate a community of faces and names to follow, challenged to make such a large group of people distinct. The helmer isn’t great about clarification, but there’s some early momentum to join the revolutionary road, especially when the writing puts William in a position of reluctant leadership, finally accepting that something needs to be done about King Albert and his cruel ways.

William assembles an A-Team of sorts, attracting other men craving revenge and freedom, willing to join a gentleman who’s openly saved them from Gessler’s forces. Suna is prioritized in the script as well, presented as a voice of reason and support, also offering her own rage over the situation, which directly involves her son. Action starts slowly, mostly regulated to quick battles, but Hamm is sure to sell the speed of William’s crossbow, delivering accurate shots to protect lives. It takes about 70 minutes before “William Tell” returns to AppleGate, clarifying the stakes in a weirdly lengthy sequence that puts the eponymous character to the ultimate test of aim and love for his country. After this event, the effort grows a bit in size, as Hamm strives to pump up the feature for a third act battle meant to send viewers off on an epic movie high.

William Tell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image presentation for "William Tell" does deal with the feature's slightly overcooked color grading, which doesn't always look natural. Inherent issues aside, hues appear stable throughout the viewing experience, handling big displays of greenery as the adventure heads into the open world. Stony and woodsy village locations register with cooler hues, while the brightness of Bertha's royal dresses and red hair breaks through as intended. Skin tones are mostly natural. Detail captures the texture of skin particulars on the cast, identifying age and weariness, also doing well with displays of wigs and facial hair. Castle interiors are dimensional, detailing plenty of decorative additions, and village life remains deep, examining community movement and mountainside backgrounds. Delineation is acceptable. Compression shows some signs of struggle, with mild banding periodic.

William Tell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix isn't always the powerhouse listening experience one expects it to be, but it remains functional, with clear dialogue exchanges throughout, securing accents and language. Scoring maintains sharp instrumentation and dramatic support, periodically flowing into the surrounds. Atmospherics are unusual, as some scenes, including a first act thunderstorm, offer a circular sense of weather, while a mid-movie ship battle on raging seas is quite mild. Community bustle is acceptable, and sound effects are distinct. Low-end is passable with weather changes and army movement.

William Tell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:14, HD) is included.

William Tell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Blocking such cinematic momentum is the screenplay, which is filled with medieval language, as Hamm is looking to boost the regality of the project. Dialogue exchanges are tiresome and cliché (indeed, one character asks, "Hark! Who goes there?"), adding nothing to the picture beyond a generous pour of screen molasses, watching the actors try to make stiff lines feel real. Performances do what they can, but Hamm is mostly interested in turning the folk hero into an action star, while the feature refuses the comfort of an ending, preferring to close on a cliffhanger, promising a sequel that might never be made. And the prospect of spending another 130 minutes in this world, with its garrulous characters and formulaic filmmaking, isn't appealing.