Arn - Tempelriddaren

Just watched 'Arn Tempelriddaren' (Arn: The Knight Templar) upon my cousin's recommendation.


Synopsis (Spoilers ahead)
It's a 2007 epic film based on Jan Guillou's trilogy about a fictional Swedish Knight Templar, Arn Magnusson. He is part of a powerful Folkung dynasty in the mid-12th century and childhood friends with Knut, the future King of Sweden. Arn had a terrible accident when he was a young boy and on his deathbed, his mother wowed that if Arn survives, he would be given to God to serve His purpose. Well Arn did survive and he was sent to the monastery to live where he was taught to read, write and develop his swordsman skills by a former Knight Templar who was residing there. Arn was later sent back to his family when he was 17 but got involved in a civil war between the different families fighting to be King Of Sweden. Meanwhile, he also fell in love with Cecilia Algotsdotter and wanted to marry her (got her pregnant too if I may add).
*But to ensure the movie is of 'epic' proportion, no romance is as straightforward easy as that*

Due to some political intrigue, Arn and Cecilia were separated and punished to undertake 20 years of penance different monasteries. Cecilia was abused by the Abbess there but slowly her life improves after some royal intervention. Arn was sent to the Holy Land and proved himself to be a capable and honourable warrior. He was there for 10 years and at the end of the movie, he was given some kind of release letter by the Knight Templar's Grand Master.

Review
a) Characters
The two main characters, Arn Magnusson (Joakim Natterqvist) and Cecilia Algotsdotter (Sofia Helin) seems to have enough chemistry between them to act as lovelorn lovers.

I usually don't like man looking so scruffy, so luckily first half of the movie Arn was a young boy and then a teen in the monastery where he is usually clean-shaven. Only in the later parts do I have to suffer through with him looking so unkempt. Cecilia is as pretty as always, so she's quite pleasing on the eye.

b) Action
To term a movie 'epic', there should be a few impressive battle scenes. Movie opened very nicely with a dessert scene that includes a horse chasing scene and then fighting and bloodshed scene. Then it had two one-to-one sword battle between innocent Arn and 'bad people'. It ends with a big battle scene between Knights Templar and Saladin's army.
Hhhmm, while not wanting to be terribly judgmental, I don't think the action scenes were jaw-dropping awesome. There was also no tension build-up to the final battle.
*unlike the time when I watched LOTR....*

c) Storyline
It had a decent storyline but I got a bit confused over the political fight. Obviously the physical fight doesn't need much explaining. Quite easy to determine who is the enemy and who is dead. The subs weren't great as well but understandable to a certain extent.

d) Enjoyment factor
Out of a scale of 5, I'd give it a 3.5.
I like it enough to start reading about Knights Templar, Saladin and Crusades.