▁was ▁not ▁as ▁strong , ▁stating , ▁" E arn est ▁and ▁am bit ious , ▁the ▁film ▁suff ers ▁from ▁trying ▁to ▁s que e ze ▁in ▁too ▁many ▁mil est ones ▁of ▁Nelson ▁Mand ela ' s ▁long ▁life ▁as ▁he ▁worked ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁opp ress ive ▁regime ▁of ▁apart heid ▁in ▁South ▁Africa . ▁But ▁the ▁talent ▁of ▁the ▁lead ▁actors ▁l ends ▁it ▁he ft , ▁particularly ▁the ▁command ing ▁performance ▁of ▁Id ris ▁El ba ▁as ▁Mand ela ." ▁ ▁Jordan ▁Hoff man ▁from ▁Film . com ▁also ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁mixed ▁to ▁negative ▁review : ▁" M and ela : ▁Long ▁Walk ▁to ▁Fre edom ▁should ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁lay up . ▁A ▁slow ▁burn ▁leading ▁to ▁event ual ▁triumph , ▁moving ▁speech es , ▁Id ris ▁El ba ▁ra ging ▁against ▁in just ice , ▁the ▁world ▁made ▁a ▁better ▁place ▁because ▁of ▁one ▁man ' s ▁sacrifice . ▁But ▁as ▁cra zy ▁and ▁off ensive ▁as ▁it ▁may ▁sound , ▁you ' ll ▁get ▁more ▁ch ills ▁from ▁El ba ' s ▁id i otic ▁speech ▁about ▁cancel ing ▁the ▁ap ocal yp se ▁in ▁Pacific ▁R im ▁than ▁you ▁will ▁in ▁this ▁by - the - numbers ▁bore ." ▁ ▁However , ▁Peter ▁Tra vers ▁of ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁generally ▁positive ▁review ▁with ▁ 2 ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁out ▁of ▁ 4 ▁stars , ▁mostly ▁cir cling ▁the ▁performances . ▁ ▁Screen writer ▁William ▁Nich ol son ▁claimed