It is the Dark Ages. In the time between the Roman departure and the Renaissance, Britain was not a unified state but instead split into groups of warring clans, each competing for supremacy over the other. Irish King Donnchadh (David Patrick O’Hara) lords over them to the west, the monarch doing all he can to ensure his disconnected neighbors do not ever unify under one flag. But that is exactly what the wise and strong Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell) of Cornwall wants to accomplish, aided in his endeavors by the young warrior who, in another life, should have been born his son.

Tristan of Aragorn (James Franco) is that warrior, and his loyalty to Lord Marke knows no boundaries. As a boy, this man who would be king risked all to save the child’s life, losing his left hand while doing so. Now, nine years later, Tristan and Marke are on the cusp of finally seeing the latter’s dream become a reality, Donnchadh offering the hand of his daughter Isolde (Sophia Myles) to the man who can win a tournament pitting Britain’s best fighters against one another. The Irish king thinks this will only breed more discord between the clans. Instead it does the opposite, Tristan winning the tournament for Lord Marke, uniting all the British clans and forcing truce with Ireland in one fell swoop.

There is a secret, however, and it could rip this fragile peace to shreds and destroy Marke’s hope for a unified country forever. What no one knows is that Tristan and Isolde are in love. A beautiful blonde Irish woman nursed him back to health when he washed upon her shore on the verge of death, this woman claiming to be a member of the King’s court, not the princess who calls Donnchadh father. But now Tristan knows Isolde is actually royalty, her hand belonging to Lord Marke in marriage, a marriage won by the tip of the soldier’s own sword. This wedding will bring unity, it will bring peace, it will usher in a new era for the British Isles; it will also break the hearts of both Tristan and Isolde, leading to a myth that will resonate in the hearts of lovers for all-time.

Romeo and Juliet eat your heart out, because your tragic star-crossed love affair has nothing on the one experienced by these two. In fact, “Tristan & Isolde” has been the long-time dream project for director brothers (and executive producers) Ridley and Tony Scott. This timeless story of love, honor and passion is rooted in British mythology as solidly as the triangle of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot, and it is easy to see what drew the acclaimed filmmakers to it. The central arc is immediately visceral, the conflict at its core so solid and emotional it is impossible not to have a reaction.

Too bad the movie isn’t very good, then I might actually have something to talk about. As it is, however, “Tristan & Isolde” is a collection of decent performances and pretty post card images wrapped around an empty shell of a motion picture. You know those thirty second or so recaps preceding your favorite episodic television program like “24,” “Lost” or “Desperate Housewives?” That’s exactly what this movie is, a series of “previously seen on…” sound bites one right after the other only without the sixty minutes of exposition to make it interesting. It is a love story without the heart, an adventure without the thrills, and as hard as the cast tries to make an audience believe otherwise is it a story without a reason to care.

Blame director Kevin Reynolds (“Rapa Nui”) and writer Dean Georgaris (“Paycheck”). Together they manage to bring the pulse of a fable laced with love, tragedy, heartbreak, heroism and history down to a flatline, many of this movie’s 126 minutes taking an eternity to finally tick by. It is a muddled, convoluted, unintelligible mess, shot as if through a fog and edited so haphazardly there I moments I actually wondered if this was actually three completely separate features secretly chopped together into one.

Too bad, because there is quite a bit in this that could have made for rousing entertainment. The locations are astonishing, the sets spectacular, the central tale solid and the music (by former Art of Noise band member Anne Dudley) is stirring. Best of all, both Sewell and Myles turn in passionately luscious performances, so rich and heartfelt it saddened me to see them put to such poor use. Myles just might be the most beautiful young actress of her generation, both her tears and her smiles so genuine she nearly made me cry. Sewell is even better, the veteran heavy given a part commanding all his talents. His Lord Marke is a fascinatingly complex leader, and I could imagine a better, richer film all about him being far more interesting than this.

It’s all for not, the rest of “Tristan & Isolde” falling upon the cold hard steel of one of its warrior’s broadsword. Franco, while physically perfect, doesn’t do anything to make the part sing like it should. As much as I’ve liked him before (he was wonderful in both TNT’s “James Dean” and Sam Raimi’s “Spider-man 2”) I found him to be hopeless here. The actor has zero chemistry with Myles, making their tragic love feel more like two kids playing dress-up then one of star-crossed lovers trapped in a web that could destroy a kingdom. He’s awful, coming across like just another pretty boy cast more for his good looks than for his acting ability.

In the end, it is Reynolds I fault most for this movie’s problems. Where is the energy of “Robin Hood: Price of Thieves” or “The Count of Monte Cristo?” What happened to the passion fueling “The Beast of War?” Heck, even the director’s much-maligned “Waterworld” had more life in it than this. No, “Tristan & Isolde” goes nowhere, does nothing and only succeeds at making an audience want for a more that never comes. I might be mistaken, but I’m pretty sure that’s not quite the sort of tragedy Reynolds was aiming for. It’s what he gets, and for those unlucky enough to wander into a showing the only tears they’re going to shed will be the ones lamenting the ten dollars they’ll never see again.

Film Rating: ê1/2  (out of 4)