The Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven is widely considered by critics and film enthusiasts to be a masterpiece that completely transforms and saves the original movie. Directed by Ridley Scott and released in late 2005, this version adds 45 to 50 minutes of crucial footage, removed due to fears of large runtime, back into the film, extending the runtime to 3 hours and 14 minutes. The original 144-minute theatrical release suffered from heavy studio editing, leaving gaping plot holes and shallow character motivations.