Product Description: Academy Award® winners Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush join Academy Award® nominee Clive Owen in a gripping historical thriller full of suspense intrigue and adventure!When Queen Elizabeth's reign is threatened by ruthless familial betrayal and Spain's invading army she and her shrewd advisor must act to safeguard to the lives of her people. But when a dashing seafarer Walter Raleigh captures her heart she is forced to make her most tragic sacrifice for the good of her country.Elizabeth: The Golden Age tells the thrilling tale of one woman's crusade to control her love destroy her enemies and secure her position as a beloved icon of the western world.System Requirements:Running Time: 115 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/HISTORICAL EPIC Rating: PG-13 UPC: 025193333223 Manufacturer No: 61033332
Amazon.com: In 1998's Elizabeth, Shekhar Kapur added a layer of suds to his history lesson; the director follows the same audience-pleasing recipe in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Since the first film, Blanchett scored an Oscar for her note-perfect rendition of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator, and she plays the preternaturally bemused monarch in a similar fashion. By 1585, Elizabeth I is an experienced ruler about to face two of her biggest challenges: betrayal by her Catholic cousin, Mary Stuart (Control's Samantha Morton), and invasion by the Spanish Armada. It isn't so much that the Protestant Elizabeth wishes to rid England of "papists," but that she wants her country to remain free from foreign domination. Closer to her home, she enjoys a sisterly relationship with lady-in-waiting Bess (rising Aussie star Abbie Cornish). That changes when Sir Walter Raleigh (a dashing Clive Owen) hits the scene. In order to continue exploring the New World, he seeks the queen’s sponsorship. She is charmed, but Raleigh only has eyes for Bess. As in the previous picture, Elizabeth enjoys better luck at affairs of state than affairs of the heart, but the conclusion is more beatific than before (and Kapur intends a third installment if Blanchett is willing). Elizabeth: The Golden Age is a rush of royal intrigue, bloody torture, fantastic headpieces, and irresistibly ripe dialogue, like "I have a hurricane in me that will strip Spain bare if you dare to try me!" To Kapur, victory for the Virgin Queen was a viable alternative to sex. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Elizabeth, The Sequel Shadow Watcher Nobody Drowns in Mineral Lake
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE may be somewhat historically incorrect, but it is still a fascinating, extremely entertaining epic motion picture.
Why many of the nation's critics, aside from Cate Blanchett's superb performance, didn't like it, I have no idea. Either they have no idea what they're talking about, or I have absolutely no taste whatsoever. Indeed, there's no other possible explanation.
Blanchett, who may very well be the finest actress working in films today, and Geoffrey Rush reprise the roles they first played in ELIZABETH (1998). This time out they're joined by Clive Owen, cast as Sir Walter Raleigh, and Samantha Morton as the doomed Mary Stuart.
As in the earlier film, also directed by Shekhar Kapur, this picture is filled with many court intrigues, plus a plot by the Spanish Government and Mary Stuart to assassinate the Queen, all of which culminates with a huge sea battle and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
On a more personal level, the movie deals with Elizabeth's romantic feelings toward Raleigh and her anger when she learns that he loves another.
Rhys Ifans, Jordi Molla and Abbie Cornish co-star in this excellent historical thriller.
- Michael B. Druxman, author of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (available December 2008)
And this beat out Saving Private Ryan? What a disgrace but typical of the Hollywood elite. This is a pretentious, over-produced, poorly acted and hugely inaccurate movie. Don't waste your money.
Horrid In retrospect, the only good things about this film were a) we saw it in a spanking new theater, b) aside from me and my wife, there was only an elderly couple in the 100+ seat theater, which allowed me to fart freely, without distracting sneers from those I might offend with bowel scents, and c) it was stadium seating, which meant I could rest my feet up. Other than that, this film was the Al Pacino Scarface, sans drugs and bad Cuban accents but plus gaudy costumes: i.e.- bad, but highly mockable. Can I recommend such a melodrama? I don't know, I really don't- unless shadow puppeteering is your bag. Move over, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, here comes Lousy Liz and the Spanish Armada!
Wonderful addition For those of you who have purchased Elizabeth starring Cate Blanchett this will be a wonderful addition to your library. Many new faces and Clive Owen does a fantastic job as Sir Walter Raleigh. A must-own for any Anglofile.
Is Something Wrong With The DVD Transfer? This film has magnificent costumes and sets, but the DVD transfer looks substandard to me (regular DVD). Much of the film looks grainy - certain scenes have a yellowish tint to them - other scenes look faded. WHAT is wrong? Universal needs to establish better quality control! There is no excuse for a major new film release on DVD looking this mediocre. The last DVD I watched that looked this bad was the first release of "The Last Emperor".
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