Starring
Angus Macfadyen, Anna Hutchinson, Zach McGowen, Talitha Bateman,
Patrick Fugit, Gabriel Bateman, Brandon Lessard, Jared Harris.
Directed by Richard Gray. (2019/124 min)
FROM
SCREEN MEDIA
Review
by Tiger the Terrible😼
Movie
fans might recall this guy. He’s the wormy one who ended up
betraying William Wallace because he stupidly trusted his conniving
old man. At the end of Braveheart, he’s seen continuing
Wallace’s fight against English rule, now as the king of Scotland.
While Braveheart’s historical accuracy is often dubious, the
real Robert the Bruce did indeed lead Scotland in the war for their
independence.
But
Robert the Bruce isn’t about that glorious career capper.
It’s immediately obvious this sequel-cum-spin-off doesn’t have
the budget for that. Instead, the story takes place an undetermined
number of years after Braveheart. Robert
(Angus Macfadyen)
may be king, but he’s lost a half-dozen battles and England
has put a price on his head.
Weary and defeated, he essentially gives up, ordering what’s left
of his army to go back home.
He
wanders into the wilderness alone, then is
later attacked by three of
his own troops hoping to collect the bounty. Robert defeats them, but
is seriously wounded and taken-in by Morag
(Anna Hutchinson), a widow whose husband was killed fighting for
Robert a few years earlier. Still loyal to the king, she and her kids
nurse him back to health during the winter, though her young son,
Scot, is initially resentful. Meanwhile, local sheriff & Morag’s
brother-in-law Brandubh (Zach McGowan) is scouring the countryside,
hoping to kill Robert and collect the bounty.
 |
| "Get off my lawn!" |
Forgoing
the epic grandeur of Braveheart,
Robert the Bruce is
a much more scaled back affair, largely focusing on Robert’s
relationship with Anna and her family while he regains his fortitude.
Macfadyen slips back into the role quite nicely, though
he’s considerably
more brooding and introspective, making him far more sympathetic
this time around. But while Brandubh is a formidable foe and
well-played by McGowen, the other supporting characters are static
at-best and little Scot is actually
pretty irritating.
As
for the overall story, I’d have preferred one based on what’s
revealed in the end-title
cards, which explain that
Robert the Bruce went on to liberate Scotland and become a national
hero. But I get it...the wallet ain't big enough for epic battles. So what we have is more like a
transitional chapter. As such, it’s sometimes interesting, though
a little too
long for its own good and nearly
bereft of any real action until the bloody
final act.
Still,
for a budget-conscious spin-off most of us probably weren’t
asking for, Robert
the Bruce isn’t a cynical
cash-in. It’s a
sincere
effort to bring
additional complexity – and redemption – to one
of Braveheart’s more
pitiful
characters. Despite being a
little meandering, it’s worth checking out if you keep your
expectations in check.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTE
- “The Making of Robert the Bruce” (where we learn much of it was actually filmed in Montana!
AUDIO
COMMENTARY – By Angus Macfadyen & director Richard Gray
KITTY CONSENSUS:
NOT BAD. LIKE CAT CHOW.
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