Queen of the screen

Kate Blanchett returns for a second round as England's favorite queen Elizabeth I. In "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," Blanchett's character has to struggle with the burden of absolute power over her kingdom, her lack of power over her own life and an oncoming Spanish invasion.

With the first film showing Elizabeth's rise to power, this film shows the more notable later years of the queen's rule, centering on the threat of the oncoming Spanish Armada that is attempting to dethrone the Protestant ruler. While trying to keep her country safe from a superior military force, she must also avoid assassination attempts, tasks made easier with the help of the loyal Sir Walsingham, who is once again played brilliantly by Geoffrey Rush. In the midst of all this, we are introduced to notorious sailor and explorer Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) who becomes something of a love interest for the aging queen.

A very well-done film, it offers a new perspective on this character, showing her in a world now more concretely under her control. At the same time, we see her agonizing over her relationship with Raleigh, a relationship she is unable to pursue due to her lofty position as queen and his lowly office of pirate. Although this theme was thoroughly covered in the last movie, Clive Owen's smirk brings a refreshing new twist to it, keeping the piece afloat where otherwise this movie would have sunk.

This disc is served with the standard fare of special features, with your typical director's commentary and deleted scenes, as well as some more interesting making-of documentaries on the settings of the film. These features give a great insight into the artistic ideas of the director and his crew, illustrating the goals they had for this movie -- goals that they achieved very well.

An excellent movie, providing a solid two hours of entertainment, education and Clive Owen in outrageously puffy pants. A must-see for fans of the first film.