Peter Weir is one of those directors who’s in no obvious rush to direct one film to the next. The last time the Australian sat in the director’s chair was seven years ago for the blustery Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. To get him back in the seat, it’s taken a story based on fact, and a collective cast of formidable talent.

It’s 1940 and Stalin has set up labour camps in the chilly tundra of Siberia. Prisoners are faced with crippling work duties that include working down notorious mines. Due to the extreme weather, any plans of escape are considered near suicidal. For seven inmates however, it was a risk worth taking.

So during a blizzard, they manage to escape the prison confines. This however, is merely the tip of their metaphorical iceberg, as they set off with little food or appropriate clothing on a trek that could last 4,000 miles if they’re to reach their final destination. Now that’s some walk home.

It’s important to point out that this film is inspired by real events; namely those featured in the memoir The Long Walk by Slawomir Rawicz. The story it tells then is purely a work of fiction. These seven prisoners didn’t actually escaping a harsh Soviet Gulag. The problem is, it seems that Weir has gone to great pains to create this illusion of truth, and although the attempt may well be commendable, the overall result is less satisfying.

The Way Back is a glorified ramble but without anything pretty to look at. Even Colin Farrell is sporting yellow teeth. It’s a film about a group of rather dull characters who go on a very long walk. And that’s truly as exciting as it gets. It may well cover a lot of ground – literally – and the kind of harsh terrain that would make even Bear Grylls wince, but it’s just not all that cinematic. It’s bleak and it’s bland. Obviously it’s not supposed to look like a holiday ad or picture postcards, but at the same time the scenery just isn’t that breathtaking or anything worth writing home about.

This leaves only the talented cast to watch (that includes Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan), but sadly the only thing entertaining about them is their stab at doing foreign accents. It could have certainly used some humour here and there, but what it’s really missing is drama. At one point some wolves bark at them, and that’s about as exciting as it gets.

It’s worrying when an audience can have a greater connection on an emotional level over two dogs and a cat going on an incredible journey rather than this. What’s it say about the film if they’ll care more about a retriever getting home safely rather than Colin Farrell – with or without bad teeth?

Perhaps Weir has just been away from the cameras a little too long, for this fictional tale just wasn’t one worth telling. Surely the real story must have been far more exciting? If that’s the case, why make a fictional one far less so? It just doesn’t add up. Coming as this does from the man behind such modern greats as Witness, The Mosquito Coast and The Truman Show , this is hugely disappointing.

Ultimately, The Way Back is a film that sadly lacks direction, in more ways than one. It’s an arduous journey that you should undertake at your own peril, as there’s a chance you could die of boredom. You have been warned.