Absolutely dreadful.

Rating: 3/10 (30 May 2014)

Many reviews say that words cannot accurately describe this movie, and they would be correct. I, however, will give it a try. I first saw this movie some 20+ years ago and I found it to be a long, plodding, go- nowhere film where the outcome was predictable from the start and unraveled so formulaic it could have spewed from the powerbook of the laziest Hollywood hack. It was over-acted at numerous times, some of the conversations were simply not believable (did George Lucas write some of this dialogue?) and there were too many unnecessary close-ups for dramatic effect. Having not read the book (as I was unaware at the time I first viewed it that there was one) and no knowledge of the individuals or events that would comprise the film, the filmmakers needed to do a better job of having viewers care about the characters, their struggles, and their fates. Instead, I found the film to be preachy (can't stress that enough), one-sided and ultimately boorish.
Fast forward 20 years.
Recently, I had the opportunity to view this film again and thought that maybe 20 years of maturity on my part would let me see this film through a different lens and possibly appreciate (at the very least) the intention of the filmmakers. This time was, indeed, different. I was in my house and in control of the remote. After 20 minutes, I just couldn't take it anymore. Daniel Day Lewis and company - you all owe me 2 hours and 20 minutes of my life and I want it back.