Review: Director Roel Reine Goest To War With Dutch Legend Michiel de Ruyter In ‘Admiral’

For Americans, Michiel de Ruyter might not be a familiar name. But the 17th century Dutch navy hero is one of the most famous historical figures in The Netherlands. A unmatched strategist, a remarkably loyal soldier and an unequaled sailor, de Ruyter helped to defend his home country from invasion a handful of times, and as the new semi-biopic “Admiral” is quick to point out, he singlehandedly united the country's Republicans and Orangists, saving The Netherlands from civil war. All of which makes de Ruyter’s life fit for a film, though “Admiral,” as engaging and competent as it can be, is certainly not definitive.

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The film opens with an impressive naval battle, in which the Dutch repel an English invasion at the tail end of the first Anglo-Dutch War. The music swells and aerial shots of the battle show the complex formations of the fleets (making certain the audience knows that this is no...