This film is going to do numbers in high school history classes for years to come.

“Nuremberg” is based on the infamous trials of the same name, which tried the Nazi high command following World War II. It follows a military psychiatrist (Rami Malek) who is tasked with determining the competence of German officials, including Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe). John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Richard E. Grant, and Michael Shannon also star, as James Vanderbilt writes and directs.

It’s actually surprising that there has only ever been one film (and a miniseries) made about the Nuremberg Trials, despite the countless number of World War II films. There is plenty of material that one could go off of with the subject, from a “A Few Good Men” courtroom drama to a psychological thriller along the lines of “Mindhunter,” and while “Nuremberg” only scratches the surface of these possibilities it still manages to deliver enough historical drama to be worth a watch.

I think Rami Malek is a perfectly fine actor, but his Oscar win for “Bohemian Rhapsody” is widely considered one of the weaker wins in the Academy’s history. Since that win, he has exclusively starred in period pieces, from the 90s-set serial killer film “The Little Things” to Christopher Nolan’s WWII thriller “Oppenheimer,” so this film fits into his apparent wheelhouse. As Douglas Kelley, a psychologist brought in to examine the minds of the captured Nazis, Malek does an OK job portraying a man who feels he is destined to be more than he is. His back and forth with Russell Crowe’s Hermann Göring can have some moments of cat-and-mouse intrigue, but I was never really invested in his character as our lead.

As Göring, the de facto leader of the Nazi Party by 1945, Crowe lays on the German accent pretty thick. He is able to portray some of Göring’s infamous ego, as well as the cold nature that would accompany a man who was in-part responsible for one of history’s greatest atrocities, though at times James Vanderbilt’s script makes him come off a bit cartoonish. Göring is almost always wearing his powder blue military uniform, which can be a bit silly when he’s shown just waking up or doing push-ups in his cell.

Speaking of the script, it is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some bits of witty dialogue, as well as effective sequences where the full scale of the Nazis’ crimes are shown. However there are also some corny, Marvel-level quips (sometimes in what should be a somber scene), as well as a few other slapstick comedy moments that feel ripped from an entirely different movie. This could also fall on Vanderbilt’s direction (it’s only his second feature, he is better known for writing the likes of “Zodiac,” the “Amazing Spider-Man” duology, and the “Scream” reboots), as moments in the film’s climax fall flatter than they should (which I attribute to a lack of musical score over one monologue and some very on-the-nose attempts at modern parallels in another).

For the most part, the production of the film is pretty good. The costumes and vehicles feel of the era, and the sets have plenty of detail. However there are some scenes that feel almost like “Sin City” or a Zack Snyder film, in that the background looks like a computer-generated world represent to feel like a graphic novel, and the way the film is shot by Dariusz Wolski is pretty bland, at times even making things feel like a made-for-TV film.

“Nuremberg” feels like the type of ensemble historical drama that thrived in the 90s and early-2000s but we don’t see very much anymore, and for that I appreciate it. With a 148 minute runtime I was never bored, but I can’t say it entirely earns its length, either. World War II nerds aficionados and history nerds should get their kicks, and I’m sure this will be played in senior history classes the week before Winter Break for years to come. It’s a shame that it wasn’t a bit tighter or more evenly constructed, but it features talented actors telling an important story, and sometimes that’s enough.

Critics Rating: 7/10