Telling the story of the rise of George Washington is such an obvious idea, it is a little shocking that filmmakers have rarely attempted it. America’s first president lived a fascinating and dramatic life, one that would seem to be perfect for a biographical film. Abraham Lincoln got one. John Adams got an acclaimed television series. Alexander Hamilton got a musical. Washington, though, has been relegated to a supporting character in most adaptations. With that in mind, I applaud director Jon Erwin for finally making an attempt at the story. Young Washington is a poorly shot, often dull attempt that doesn’t do justice to its subject, but I’ll give him a bit of credit for at least trying.

Taking place many years before the Revolutionary War, the story follows George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) as a young man hoping to become an officer in the British army. After being repeatedly denied a commission, he is finally granted a rank in the militia instead and charged with leading his men to remove the French forces occupying the Ohio territory. His ambition and inexperience cause him to be reckless and lead to the beginning of a war. Washington must prove that he is able to learn from his mistakes and be the leader that he believes himself to be.

The beginning of his military service is absolutely the right time period in Washington’s life to make a film about. He was very different as a young man than the General and President he would later become. His arrogance and naked ambition make for a compelling character, one that has to go through a painful arc to become a good soldier and a good leader.

Unfortunately, the script rarely explores those sides of the character in any way other than superficially. Sure, he forces himself into a leadership position he isn’t ready for, he makes disastrous decisions, ignores advice, and underestimates enemies, but the film never seems to blame him for these mistakes. George is always presented as good and smart, even when he fails. Every setback is obviously just a step toward his ultimate success, and most have no real consequences for him. By the end of the film, he has learned the error of his ways, but mostly only because he has to in order to conclude the movie. I’d have liked him to earn that growth a little more.

William Franklyn-Miller would probably also have liked the character to be a bit deeper. He seems like a good actor, he’s certainly trying his best to make Washington an interesting character. The script and dialogue are just so straightforward and stilted that there’s very few chances to shine. It’s not an exceptional performance, but there’s enough good in it that I’m willing to believe it’s not entirely his fault.

There’s also nobody else for him to rely on as backup. Despite boasting a cast of very good actors, Young Washington simply does not care about its secondary characters. They come and go quickly and most get little screentime. The few that actually matter are only there to either tell Washington that he has potential or to doubt him and inevitably be proven wrong.

By far, though, the biggest issues in the entire film are the cinematography and design. The movie clearly wants to be epic in scope, really showing the untamed beauty of the American colonial landscape and the battles that took place there. Yet, it all looks so cheap. None of the costumes or locations feel lived-in and none of the battles feel dangerous. The colors are dull, the forests and fields have no sense of scale, and nothing makes you believe for a second that any of these people are fighting for their lives. The whole thing feels like watching an above-average group of reenactors rather than real events.

Ultimately, Young Washington is a great idea with poor execution. I spent most of the film imagining what a better version the movie might look like. I’d very much like to watch that movie. Sadly, this version is hard to recommend. Like its lead character, it is full of ambition. Also like its lead character, that ambition leads to failure. In the movie, Washington learns from that failure and goes on to greater things. I wonder if the filmmakers can do the same.