Sweden is known worldwide for its fantastic film industry. The Swedes know how to entertain and this is extremely evident in their high-budget film-to-TV program, Arn: The Knight Templar – The Complete Series, a series which follows Arn, a young boy who grows into a noble knight. Arn is the most expensive production in Swedish cinema with a total budget of US $30 million. The complete series is now out on Blu-ray and it is a truly wonderful piece of Medieval entertainment.

Based on Jan Guillou’s epic bestselling trilogy, Arn is a riveting tale of a young man and his quest to overcome evil and find his true love. Arn Magnusson (Joakim Natterqvist) is a skilled swordsman who, as a penance for his sins, is sent off to war as a Knight Templar. The program shows him do battle with unsavory individuals, navigate hellish scenes so that he may eventually restore peace and prosperity to the land and find his sweetheart.

Arn, originally a 265-minute duo of films was split up into a 6-episode series. Remarkably shot, Arn has the feel of a Ridley Scott epic. Films that Arn seems to draw from are Gladiator and Braveheart. Themes of nobility and honor are strong and present in Arn. The acting is a tad amateur but the direction and cinematography are both stellar. If you are in need of some quality Medieval storytelling, then Arn: The Knight Templar might be right up your alley.

Blu-ray Bonus Features

The bonus features for Arn: The Knight Templar – The Complete Series are decent, containing over 40 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes.