*** Official ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE Review Thread

OK, after seeing the 5 minute trailer I was so psyched to see this movie. I've already heard mixed reviews and even Ebert's review had me a little worried. Having said all that, I have to agree with most critics that it's not what I was hoping for. It's not as great as the first movie yet it's still pretty good. I believe the biggest mistake was spending too much time on Sir Walter's Raleigh's "relationship" with Queen Elizabeth. Especially since the filmmakers took great dramatic liberty to it. They should have spent more time with Mary Stuart plotting to assassinate the Queen which, once it got around to it, the movie really took off. At this point I started to enjoy the film more. From that point on, the movie started to resemble more of what made the first film so enjoyable to watch. Another thing that may bother some are the political overtones that seem to reflect what's currently going on in the world. I won't get into that though. I do, however, commend Cate Blanchett for such a powerful performance as the Queen. All the supporting characters were excellent and a joy to watch, especially Geoffrey Rush. The costumes are great and the music may be overbearing at times but still a pretty good score to listen to. Overall, I was entertained.


*** / *****