Featured Audience Ratings

• Bobby H

  
  This movie is not bad, but it goes on for a long time. It shows some great period peices, seems historically accurate, and hits some emotional keys but really it's the same thing through the entire movie. The queen has a rough time, she cries, she gets comforted, she speaks,… More
  This movie is not bad, but it goes on for a long time. It shows some great period peices, seems historically accurate, and hits some emotional keys but really it's the same thing through the entire movie. The queen has a rough time, she cries, she gets comforted, she speaks, a few executions, and this continues for hours. There's no REAL dedicated scenes to be found in this tale of Elizabeth. While it's worth a watch I think it's safe to say we can find better movies with this base out there. Overall It carries on far to long to be a classic, but it's worth watching IF you enjoy this time period. If your not a fan of the period, your probably going to be bored out of your mind through out this entire movie.

• Mike S

  
  Brilliant mini-series about the later years of Queen Elizabeth I's rule. Altough Cate Blanchett is my preference, Helen Mirren was indeed a great casting choice for this legendary historic figure. As goes for the supporting actors, among which Jeremy Irons and Ian McDiarmid… More
  Brilliant mini-series about the later years of Queen Elizabeth I's rule. Altough Cate Blanchett is my preference, Helen Mirren was indeed a great casting choice for this legendary historic figure. As goes for the supporting actors, among which Jeremy Irons and Ian McDiarmid shined like never before in their respective roles. Besides the prime quality acting, the harmonic combination of a superb script, amazing costumry and wonderful music score, really made this production come alive. It truly felt like being transported back to the 16th century. And considering the fact that this was a mini-series made for television, I must say I was quite impressed.

• Cameron J

  
  Wow, you'd think that more people would bring up the fact that a year before she played Elizabeth II in "The Queen", Helen Mirren played Elizabeth I. Well, clearly, even though not a whole lot of people bring it up, that clearly has to be on everyone's minds. It… More
  Wow, you'd think that more people would bring up the fact that a year before she played Elizabeth II in "The Queen", Helen Mirren played Elizabeth I. Well, clearly, even though not a whole lot of people bring it up, that clearly has to be on everyone's minds. It was certainly on the Golden Globes' mind, because although this series came out in 2005, it sweeped the TV Film/Miniseries section of the Golden Globes for 2006, though, considering all of the still-running, multi-season TV programs they slapped on the ballot for Best TV Film/Miniseries, with all of their making (To me, at least) plenty of credible decisions when it comes to awarding films (*cough*more*cough*than*cough*Os*cought*cars*cough*), the Globes have a hard time keeping up with TV... I said, even though this series didn't make it to the US until 2006. Well, either way, the point is that the Globes get a bit messy when it comes to selecting what miniseries to put on the ballots, but at least they have good taste in miniseries, because this is quite the satisfying saga, especially if you were wondering just how similar Cate Blanchett and Helen Mirren can be, because nothing settles a question quite like that than having them play the same part. They could have just forgotten the aging makeup and just got Helen Mirren to play the dying Daisy in "Benjamin Button", and they may as well have, because as robbed as Blanchett was, to the point of rarely being nominated for one of the greatest performances of a career riddled with some of the best female performances in the past decade or so, they may as well have taken away some material for her to execute masterfully. Blanchett gets at least one nomination per year, and yet, they couldn't nominate, let alone award her for "Benjamin Button"? Maybe they just like it when she plays Elizabeth I better, and I can't blame them too much for that, because it's a role that's prone to summon some great performances out of the portrayers, an idea solidified by this miniseries, which is carried by Mirren, even with all of the other excellent stuff it has going for it, yet Mirren doesn't quite carry it past its missteps. With all of these four-hour-long, five-hour-long and even as far as nearly six-hour-long miniseries of similar subject matter, this series' running just a little over three-and-a-half hours sounds relatively tight, or at least it does until you read a bit more into the final 25 years of Queen Elizabeth I's reign. Now, that's not to say that the twilight of the Virgin Queen's life wasn't eventful, because with all of the stuff she had to do that took up her sweet time, it's no wonder she stayed a virgin, yet you wouldn't think that from watching this series, because, for long lapses in time, absolutely "nothing" happens but dry redundance and padding. Certainly, there are aspects during the points of nothingness that keep things going, and even if there weren't, there are still quite a few more points in which something of intrigue and substance occurs, some of which involving unexpected and very gratuitously graphic gore that momentarily kills all but every ounce of intelligence and emotional resonance within the series on its feet (It doesn't help that the gore effects aren't even all that good), yet the do-nothing periods are just so long and slow down the momentum and intrigue of the series until substance comes along, and even then, much of the substance and intrigue gets to be so relentlessly repetitious to the point of losing some steam. The series moves slowly but surely, yet slowly nevertheless, dragged down by such padding of nothingness, with dryness exacerbating the sting of the slowness and leaving investment to go hurt, a situation made worse by the fact that immediate development feels rather lacking. The series plops you into the middle of the plot with little immediate exposition and only so much progressive exposition, expecting you to know where we are in the life of the Virgin Queen, and justly so, as we are all well aware of who Queen Elizabeth I was, yet as far as emotional investment is concerned, the series stood to be more fleshed out when left the gate and continued to leave a fair bit to be desired as far as exposition. Although this saga isn't quite as long as others of its type, it's still over three-and-a-half hours plagued to no end with many a fault. However, for every misstep, of which there are many, there is a firm regaining of footing that ultimately prevails in the end and wins you over, particularly if you're on the look out for style. Larry Smith's cinematography is consistently handsome, with occasions in which it's simply breathtaking, keeping your eyes occupied, while the production designs really lock in the aesthetics' attention. The Elizabethan Era is reconstructed ever so elaborately, with clever designs that may not be the most original, yet are certainly recognized as captivating and transportive in other efforts, and are thus just that here. Outside of that, what helps in holding your interest in this series has to be the screenply by Nigel Williams (Nigel? No wonder this series is so blasted British), which is not at all spotless, being plagued to no end, yet what Williams gets right really carries this series through its faults, whether it be in his interpretation of the political aspects or in the pretty decent dialogue that he's prepared to keep the slower spots going with charm partially made so effective by the generally inspried direction, so I guess you could say that, before he did "The King's Speech", Tom Hooper really knew how to make the Queen's speeches charming. Seriously though, Hooper's direction is also imperfect, yet he still draws much charm from such more human aspects as the aforementioned slower yet charming dialogue bits of the series, as well as much intrigue from the more political and dramatic aspects, absorbing plenty of depth to sustain your investment in the story and its character, even with all of the limited character exposition. Still, what really keeps the characters so engaging are, of course, the people behind them, as most everyone is colorful in this cast, yet there are still a few particular standouts. Jeremy Irons co-leads only in the first episode, but makes it count with electric charisma, broken up by genuine depth that really captures the essence of Earl of Leicester, while Hugh Dancy, our co-lead for episode two, stands as a fine follow-up to Irons, firmly establishing himself as a compelling human with winning charm and some depth-exploring layers, many of which get to be shockingly dark. Still, it all comes back to the great Helen Mirren, who is just about as fantastic as anyone has been as the immortal Queen Elizabeth I, nailing that legendary wit and livliness with charm and humanity, yet when tensions raise and hearts break amidst Elizabeth's near-endless barrage of personal and political struggles that threatened her life in varying yet never light degrees, Mirren incorporates intense emotion and subtle layers that give us transcendant insight into the strength, vulnerability, nobility, fear and all around humanity within the Virgin Queen, and after a while, much like Cate Blanchett, the only person who has played Elizabeth just as well (That's how awesome Mirren is as Queen Elizabeth), Mirren becomes the legend and carries this saga through thick and then, standing as one of the biggest reasons why it's such an ultimately rewarding watch. In conclusion, the series is a slow one, not just in pacing, but in structure, boasting relentless long and padding periods of nothing but redundant material to slow down momentum and hurt intrigue already damaged by limited character exposition and points of excessive repetition, thus making for a consistently flawed series, yet one that ultimately transcends many of its missteps through a handsome style and stellar production to catch your eye and a generally intriguing, when not witty script to sustain your attention, especially due to its being generally well-executed by Tom Hooper and really brought to life by a colorful cast, from which Jeremy Irons and Hugh Dancy stand out, while Helen Mirren owns the series effortlessly with electric charisma, as well as powerful depth, emotion and layers that leave her to both practically transform into the immortal Virgin Queen and stand as a strong lead who helps in ultimately making "Elizabeth I" a mostly fascinating, well-crafed and satisfying study on the latter part of Queen Elizabeth I's inspiring reign and rocky life. 3/5 - Good

• Sunil J

  
  Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons have great chemistry and I just find Elizabeth I interesting in general.

• Marion R

  
  Good acting, but it's very long, so I don't see my self watching it anytime soon