Cate Blanchett reprises her Golden-Globe winning role in a commanding performance as Queen Elizabeth I in this sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age. The 1998 semi-classic put Cate Blanchett on the map as a real actress. 9 years later, Cate Blanchett has established herself as one of the greatest, most versatile actresses of our time and thus returns to this sequel. And what we get is kind of a mixed bag.
1585. Spain and England are on the brink of war. Catholic Spain sees Protestant England as a threat, and thus, plots to overtake the throne and make it their land. In England, a sailor named Walter Raleigh presents several new goods from the New World, including gold, potatoes, and tobacco. The queen immediately falls in love with Raleigh, however it is terrible for timing. Catholics plot an attempt on the Queen's life, in the hope that Spanish correspondent Queen Mary of Scots will take over. History would call it the Babington Plot. But Spain amasses a huge armada to attack England. Shall Spain triumph and England crumble? Or will England hold off the massive army?
The problem with this movie is it's basically a 2-hour segment of a 20-hour movie. The first movie was the first chapter, and now this sequel is the seventh. What happened in between they assume us to know, as it is a part of history. But still, I wish they filled the blanks in better. The action scenes show us what happened, but almost never show why. And some of the dialogue is just downright wooden.
But here's the upside. Cate Blanchett is amazing, repeat, AMAZING, as Queen Elizabeth. (again) She commands the screen with such grace and prescence...It truly feels like you're watching her. Clive Owen is very good as the explorer Walter Raleigh, and Samantha Morton is excellent in a few scenes as Mary of Scots. And the costumes, sets, cinematography, and design is downright beautiful.
Overall, in order to understand this, you should probably watch the first and do some reading on Queen Elizabeth I. Remember, Elizabeth I & II are partly fictionalized, so don't expect supreme accuracy. The muddled plot and dialogue are saved by the design and acting...But just barely. B-
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