Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

To Kill a King Blu-ray Movie Review

This entertaining drama makes for a lackluster Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 17, 2008

No man commands the king. No man tells the king his limits. The king rules by God’s grace.

Despite packaging that might have the potential buyer thinking this will be a movie where heroes ride horses, hack their enemies with swords, and leave burning cities in their wake, To Kill A King is really a political drama based on the events at the end of the English Civil War, and there is really no action to speak of. We see a few minor action sequences, a smattering of blood, and a few gruesome "post-war" scenes at the start of the film, but nothing resembling the action shot on the front of the box. No bother, because the movie itself is fairly good nevertheless, a talky drama that never becomes too embroiled in unintelligible dialogue of the haughty "King's" English of yore or steeped in the stuffiness that accompanies most costume or period dramas. No, To Kill A King is definitely a movie made for modern audiences with a modern grasp of both English and history, and it perhaps works only because it doesn't try too hard to be too important or arrogant for the common man to enjoy. Granted, as a history buff I enjoyed this film, regardless of how historically accurate or not it may be. It's not often you find movies about the American Civil War, let alone the English Civil War, and it was perhaps the freshness of the idea more than the quality or accuracy of the movie itself that made the experience of screening To Kill A King one that proved much more pleasant than I anticipated it to be.

Poor bloke...never saw it coming.

"For three bloody years, brothers fought brothers in the struggle to be treated fairly by our king." So begins To Kill A King, a tale of the aftermath of the English Civil War. King Charles I (Rupert Everett, My Best Friend's Wedding) has been imprisoned in his palace, but despite the end of the war, the real battle is only just beginning. Oliver Cromwell (Tim Roth, Reservoir Dogs) and General Fairfax (Dougray Scott, Hitman) are the lead characters in the struggle to keep the king dethroned and honor what the people have fought for so as to not have to fight the war again. Charles I, believing his place on the throne has been reserved through Divine Providence, strikes a deal with parliament to vote to return him to his God-given position, angering Cromwell and Fairfax. The King's palace is looted as part of the deal, but the unscrupulous members of parliament are soon arrested by Cromwell's and Fairfax's men, and the king once again imprisoned, this time in a secure, hidden location. The king remains defiant, and as the political intrigue continues to mount, egos and notions of importance and grandeur seep into even the most levelheaded and well-meaning of minds, the country once again falls into chaos as the struggle for power, the argument over self-determination versus Divine Intervention, and treachery culminate to become one of the most important periods in both English and Western history.

The worst thing about watching this film was the longing I felt to see it on a much larger screen. The beautiful, expansive sets and sweeping landscapes make this one ripe for a viewing on something much bigger than a 65” screen. The set design, cinematography, and costuming are all first-rate. In those departments, To Kill A King is one of the better historical dramas I’ve seen, one that is definitely a beautiful film to look at. The acting is also first-rate; Scott, Roth, and Everett put on solid performances. In fact, Roth is absolutely fantastic as Cromwell in many of his scenes, notably when he learns of parliament’s treachery, putting on a spirited, exciting performance. Rupert Everett also plays King Charles I bravely yet somewhat reserved, the king coming off as an intelligent man, a determined and steadfast man, one who believes he truly has been placed on the throne of England based solely on the will of God, yet despite that trust on God, wears his fears on his sleeve the closer he gets to losing his head. Never flashy, To Kill A King represents an honorable attempt at bringing an interesting slice of history to the big screen, and despite any flaws it may have, from historical inaccuracies to misleading advertising, it still makes for a mostly enjoyable watch, one that is wondrous to behold visually and well-paced despite its lack of action.

To Kill a King Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Starz brings To Kill A King to Blu-ray in a decent yet underwhelming 1080p, 2.35:1 high definition transfer. At first glance, this isn't a bad effort by Starz. I was struck early on in the film by its natural, clean, film-like look. Flesh tones appeared spot-on accurate, showing no signs of the "rosy red" or "orange" appearance seen in so many transfers. There were also times when the image appeared crystal-clear and deep, sporting solid colors, a mostly grain-free image, and a good amount of detail and depth. Colors were abundant yet a bit dull, but looked natural. The film's costuming presented us with the most color, and while not eye-popping, the colors seen in the clothing were generally excellent in appearance. As the film moved on, however, it seemed that the depth and clarity fled from the scene, leaving a mostly drab, lifeless, one-dimensional look. The print was rarely marred by some speckles that popped up every now and again, and the image looked (intentionally) washed out in a few places, but for the most part, this was a pleasant, film-like transfer that won't walk away with any accolades, but certainly gets the job done on the whole. Perhaps the most egregious culprits here were seen in the film's darker sequences. Nighttime scenes definitely look the worst as black levels appeared overly bright, and took away from the good quality of the rest of the image. Grain was heavy in the washed-out black backgrounds. Oddly enough, one or two nighttime shots fared rather well, looking much better than the majority, sporting deep, accurate blacks with no signs of the aforementioned problems. The transfer was definitely hit-or-miss. I was neither overly impressed nor thoroughly disappointed, and the result was a fairly average Blu-ray transfer that was passable but far from brilliant.

To Kill a King Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Starz brings To Kill A King to the Blu-ray revolution with a PCM 5.1 uncompressed sound mix, despite the proclamation on the box that only a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is included. Nevertheless, this pedestrian mix offers little more than dialogue and music, both reproduced mostly fine, but with little flair or notice. To Kill A King is anything but an action film, and the sound design makes sure we never forget that, offering a front-heavy mix with a few nice additions to the rear soundstage now and again, but nothing worth writing home about. The movie's generally good score finds its way into the back, and it's a pleasing soundtrack, definitely room-filling but not aggressive or too loud. There are some very nice nuances to be heard such as echoing voices in some of the many scenes featuring dialogue in the expansive palatial chambers or in tight underground passages. Dialogue, the most important aspect of the movie and therefore this sound mix, is reproduced well for the most part, though I did notice it tended to become muffled now and again, especially near the end of the film. That's about all she wrote for this one. Go into the To Kill A King aural experience expecting a front-heavy, dialogue driven film with minimal effects, little to no bass, and a typically reproduced, pleasant score, and you won't be disappointed.

To Kill a King Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Lacking any meaningful special features, those looking for more than just a viewing of To Kill A King will need to look elsewhere, preferably a respected history text. A brief (5:38), 480p featurette showcases clips of the film interlaced with nuggets of information with cast and crew about the stories and motivations of the primary characters of the film. A fluff piece to be sure, it is nothing worthwhile. The only other features are 1080p trailers for this film and Beowulf & Grendel.

To Kill a King Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A film only fans of history and period pieces will enjoy, To Kill A King manages to bravely bring an interesting period of Western political history to life, recounting a tale that relies on its look, feel, and acting rather than complete historical accuracy to entertain viewers. If anything, the movie, for me, served as a spark, one that has piqued my interest in this time period and the events and people depicted therein, creating a yearning to learn more about them and their motivations. To Kill A King should almost certainly engender a desire to brush up on your English history, regardless of your prior interest. Presented on Blu-ray, To Kill A King is not worth losing your head over; it's a disc with mediocre picture and sound quality and a small, uninspired set of extras. Nevertheless, anyone with an inkling towards pictures like this one should not have any reservations about adding it to their collections, and I recommend To Kill A King as a purchase only for those Blu-ray fans who are inclined to enjoy period films that are high on drama and short on action.