Decent, but nothing phenomenal

Rating: 5/10 (20 May 2011)

(NOTE: In the following review, I briefly discuss the film's ending. You may not want to read this review if you have not watched The King's Speech.)
The King's Speech was met with world wide critical acclaim and numerous Oscars, including best director, best actor (Colin Firth), and best picture. I didn't watch the movie at the cinema, but after hearing about its success at the Academy Awards, I decided it was worth checking out on DVD.
To be honest, I was a little disappointed.
I'll start off by saying that The King's Speech is in absolutely no way a bad movie. The writing is solid, the camera angles are simplistic yet unique, and both Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush give very good performances. What irritated me most about the movie though was how I felt it had been manufactured simply to win Oscars.
The movie was in many ways too generic.
It had everything that the Academy absolutely loves: a historical setting, a variety of unique costumes, a (mostly) happy ending, and a lead character with a disability (in this case, a speech impediment), who struggles to achieve his goals but succeeds by the end. I just felt like I had seen this kind of movie before, and while it was well written and well acted, it still felt generic, and perhaps even mediocre.
One other criticism it that the film is somewhat unaccessible to a younger audience, as many details about the pre-WW2 British monarchy are "assumed knowledge," as far as the film- makers are concerned, which was a little annoying to a sixteen year old Australian who thinks the concept of a monarchy is more than a little bit dated and pointless.
My last criticism is that while Colin Firth gives a very good performance, his character came across as a bit of a whiny little snobbish cry baby. Here's this king, a man born into England's wealthiest family, who has a great lifestyle and bundles of money, yet he cries like a little baby simply because he can't speak properly. I realize his speech impediment is vital to the core concept of the film, but Colin Firth's king ultimately felt very unlikable to me, as the character simply isn't charming, likable, funny, or (for most) relatable.
Still, The King's Speech is probably worth your time. It's well acted, the script is well written, and it will keep you entertained for most of its duration. Still, I just can't see myself loving this film, as I believe this movie was made to win Academy Awards. That might not matter for you, and if that's the case, chances are you'll love The King's Speech. Maybe it just wasn't the right movie for me.
6/10