FILM HEART'S STONE COLD; US director delivers a bland version of historic moment STONE OF DESTINY *** PG.

IF Heartbeat was to be a movie, it would be Stone Of Destiny - glossy, quaint, predictable but ultimately bland.

It had the potential to be an exciting true tale of high drama about an audacious raid on the heart of England tore turn the Stone of Destiny to its rightful home in Scotland.

Instead it's a somewhat clumsy Disney-esque crime caper steeped in faux national pride.

Could this be down to the fact it was written and directed by an American, Charles Martin Smith?

You can tell he's a fan of Scotland, but no matter how much he loves our country or the story, the film still feels like a nostalgia trip from a tourist's perspective.

There are pitfalls for any overseas director making a movie about Scotland. Thanks to tartan, our accents, the scenery and Mel Gibson, we Scots are susceptible to cliche Hollywood interpretation.

Here Smith falls into the trap of playing up national stereotypes, I presume to capitalise on maximum potential for overseas sales.

If I was to apply the same principle to American culture, I'd surely be right in thinking that everyone from the deep south plays the banjo, wears dungarees and calls their first-born son Elmer.

But despite this criticism, you do get the overriding feeling his heart is in the right place even if at the start of the film, the Stone is not.

Since 850 AD the Stone was used for crowning Scots monarchs, but in 1296, Edward I whisked it off to Westminster Abbey and fitted it into a wooden chair on which a succession of royals were crowned King or Queen of England and, symbolically, Scotland.

On Christmas Day 1950, four Scots university students, led by Ian Hamilton, stole it back and that's your plot, simply told, minus any complex characters or subplots as a couthy underdog story about a bunch of kids pulling one over on the establishment.

Ironically, in this tale of Scottish pride we have an Englishman at the helm, Stardust's Charlie Cox playing Ian, whose book the film is based on.

He pulls off an OK Scottish accent and is supported by some well known Scots in the shape of Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle and Peter Mullan.

And the excellent Brenda Fricker turns up in the lowly role of a housekeeper with barely a line in the movie, what a waste.

Kate Mara also stars, so it's a who's who of decent actors in a ho-hum and not much happening movie.

But considering the Stone itself weighs 450lbs, it's a shame the film is so lightweight.

CAPTION(S):

HEAD MAN: Englishman Charlie Cox as Ian Hamilton; MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: The students celebrate after returning the Stone home to Scotland and, right, pretty star Kate Mara