Braveheart 2? Robert the Bruce Movie Review: A Different Kind of Sequel

Braveheart 2? You Betcha! But It's Not What You Think!

Robert the Bruce: The Surprise Braveheart Sequel You Never Knew Existed!

Mel Gibson's Braveheart (1995) is legendary—a cinematic masterpiece, and a historical epic! You would assume a sequel to such an iconic title might be equally legendary! The shocking news here is the fact that such a sequel not only exists, but completely delivers on its expectations in a manner some fans never expected; resulting in surprising and sometimes controversial moments, the sequel picks up that storyline, although, quite unexpectedly; delivering a totally different story.

Robert the Bruce (2020) is an unofficial Braveheart 2 featuring Angus Macfadyen reprising his role as Robert the Bruce! Instead of that grand-scale epic however; the plot is rather surprisingly intimate and quieter compared to its earlier version; we explore this famous character during an important period of time far before the Battle of Bannockburn. Where Braveheart focuses on William Wallace's life and death, Robert the Bruce highlights Robert's journey from a dejected soldier to the King of Scotland. And you won't believe how different it really is.

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A Different Kind of War Story

Braveheart ends with William Wallace's brutal execution. This incredibly graphic execution supposedly served as an ultimate tool intended to shatter the Scots; however those themes would become exactly what would spark the resistance; that would lead to Robert the Bruce's eventual success during Bannockburn (1314). That sets up Robert the Bruce nicely. This story takes place during that earlier era after Wallace's death before Bannockburn.

Macfadyen's Robert appears discouraged, on the brink of surrender, wounded; living in near hiding after being ambushed by mercenary groups betraying their oath to Robert. This quieter tone creates unexpected intimacy. He finds refuge with a widowed peasant farmer and his family. Those kinds of personal interactions were often overlooked compared to the wider scale conflicts, and it creates emotional resonance lacking in those battle scenes in Braveheart!

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Robert the Bruce: A Failed Attempt at Recreating Braveheart Magic

Let's get real; despite some intriguing ideas and attempts toward the development of certain aspects in the sequel, there are immense problems. It only covers that short portion of Robert the Bruce's life. Despite attempts toward crafting that sense of emotional impact reminiscent of Braveheart; many things falter, and that ultimately creates those critical gaps in what had otherwise appeared to be an interesting and successful strategy.

Braveheart is this huge epic. Robert the Bruce feels far smaller. Those really quiet and introspective moments (Robert recovering in a cave for about 50 minutes!) along with a story that heavily depends on Morag's 11-year-old Scot and is what doesn’t completely gel with expectations created by this original and wildly successful title and is precisely where the story falters. Robert ends up barely participating in his own story; sometimes even being more like a passenger! Even moments attempting to generate impact—the death of that skilled Blacksmith’s daughter lacks intensity, meaning.

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Other Forgotten Sequels: When Hollywood Capitalizes on a Name

Braveheart 2 might have made many people surprised, it certainly raised plenty of discussion but what are some of those other Movies that received surprise Sequels and which had their successes unexpectedly affected?

American Psycho 2 (2002): This totally changed the perspective; moving past the original’s iconic character to introduce something very unexpected; highlighting an entire subversion of expectation. Even bringing in Patrick Bateman (though without Christian Bale) only makes this plot twist all the more unique.
Jarhead (2005) sequels: Those Jarhead sequels changed everything; converting a realistic and somewhat serious war story into straight-up action!
Disney's Direct-to-Video Sequels: Aladdin, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid? Those beloved titles also all got some surprisingly poor quality sequels!

These demonstrate the sheer variety surrounding sequel successes; how an attempt at duplicating an original’s success can lead to far different experiences, particularly if the sequel does not carefully consider many factors during its development. These sometimes unexpected choices have consequences and many should realize those kinds of limitations early on to avoid any possible failures in duplicating the prior success. A well-considered creative adaptation and development always leads to more effective and impressive work and this very idea of creative reuse demonstrates how even previously successful attempts have limits. Not always an equal reaction is anticipated and there exist many important reasons that explains why creating something good in this setting doesn't imply something equally great in that subsequent release and those factors must be realized prior to development to anticipate possible reactions from its own audience.

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Conclusion: Robert the Bruce – A Quieter Reflection Than Its Epic Predecessor

Robert the Bruce is no Braveheart. This quieter story, although far more nuanced; attempts to use an intimate perspective to explore the same events from its predecessor. This choice fails to satisfy the expectations raised. This lacks intensity. That quieter style lacked intensity, especially concerning a title that sought to imitate that huge scale created by Braveheart. It fails, yet its failures highlight that the sheer success from previous entries never guaranteed its replication through simple imitation; many factors must be carefully taken into consideration prior to implementation. This includes those aspects related to the original and all those surrounding ideas that generate interest within this same group. Its quieter take might still appeal. It leaves plenty to think about, concerning the original’s overall tone and plotline. Even if the ending did lack intensity, this approach has some validity; creating those key opportunities to think differently compared to the wider themes which originally brought about this surprise and generally well-received title. Many still remember it.