Given that it is a bug budget historic war epic I was not expecting anything groundbreaking. But this follows every rule in the book and is so hideously predictable that it fails to excite and is often boring. Thank you for the CGI rats to offer at least a bit of emotion. Like with a lot of modern films, this is a movie we could all easily do without. Lowest point for me was the cinematography. It is that Matthew Libatique working with Aranofsky (think Black Swan) sight abuse. I know it's the modern style of camerawork but that does not make it less insulting for the eyes. Despite all the shortcomings Sam Mendes is brilliant, so is most of the cast. Always lovely to see Cumberbatch and Strong, Andrew Scott is very refreshing here, would have loved to see more of him. This is not a bad film or complete failure, it's just lacking. Weak script, mediocre picture balanced out by great directing and acting. Worth the watch, not worth the hype.