“Outlaw King” (2018) picks up where “Braveheart” (1995) left off. The narrative begins in 1304, during the final year of William Wallace’s life. Following Wallace's execution, Robert the Bruce (Chris Pine) assumes leadership in Scotland’s fight for independence from England. Aside from a somewhat disappointing ending, the film concludes with the Battle of Loudoun Hill in 1307, where Robert the Bruce confronts an English force of 3000 soldiers with only 600 Scots at his command. In my opinion, "Outlaw King" surpasses the much-discussed “Braveheart.” Chris Pine delivers a more convincing performance as the central character than Gibson did; Florence Pugh is strikingly beautiful compared to Sophie Marceau (or Catherine McCormack), and she portrays a far more engaging personality; the film’s settings are superior, even though “Braveheart” had impressive locations too; the musical score is better; it's tighter and more consistent throughout; and generally, the movie feels more compelling and believable. While "Outlaw King" doesn't quite reach the level of Patrick McGoohan's memorable portrayal of Longshanks or include a scene as striking as the defenestration sequence, it avoids some of “Braveheart’s” shortcomings. It lacks the slow beginning that plagued the earlier film (the first 25 minutes), an unbelievable act of betrayal, the silly episode where Wallace rides into a noble's bedroom on horseback and makes a quick escape (seriously!), and the drawn-out execution scene in "Braveheart," which felt overly symbolic. Importantly, “Outlaw King” is more faithful to historical accounts; it doesn’t show Scots wearing kilts or painting their faces, nor does it depict Robert the Bruce betraying Wallace—something that never occurred (though he publicly distanced himself from him initially, this was clearly for political reasons, and he later acknowledged his support for the war effort). Although “Outlaw King” strives for accuracy, it contains its own minor historical liberties. Elizabeth & Marjorie did manage to escape Kildrummy Castle along with Robert’s sisters, but they were soon recaptured by Edward’s men; Edward II (Billy Howle) wasn't present at the Battle of Loudoun Hill, so the duel with him never took place; Edward I (Stephen Dillane) was still alive when this battle happened in 1307, meaning his son hadn't yet become king; Queen Elizabeth wasn’t imprisoned in a cage, but Robert’s sister was; the English were already familiar with the Scottish hedgehog formation by Loudoun Hill and had previously broken it nine years earlier at Falkirk; Elizabeth remained captive for over seven years before Robert could secure her release in 1314 following his victory at Bannockburn—a timeline that the film compresses. If you appreciate realistic medieval films like “Tristan + Isolde” (2006), then I recommend checking out "Outlaw King.” The movie has a runtime of 2 hours and 1 minute and was filmed primarily in Scotland, with some scenes shot in England. Despite being a Netflix production, it had a substantial budget of $120 million, which is evident on screen. GRADE: B+/A-

Source on TMDB