I’m not used to historical dramas having sequels – it’s a privilege usually reserved for the less wordy and more spectacular of Hollywood films. The Golden Age comes nine years after Elizabeth, the film that secured Blanchett’s reputation, and I’d be surprised if anyone had been hanging out for it before it was announced.
The sets, locations and costumes are all beautiful. The film looks great on the big screen, excepting when we’re subjected to the disappointing visual effects. The score, courtesy of Craig Armstrong and A. R. Rahman is great also.
Everything is spot on in fact, excepting the story. I’ve always thought it hard to wring excitement out of stories about rulers – they stay in the one place and talk about what’s going on, rather than actually doing it. The one time Elizabeth gets out and about is to rally her men against the superior might of the advancing Spanish armada, and it feels out of place. The Spanish are the bad guys here, and we know this cos they dress in black and are lit by creepy green lights. This is perhaps indicative of the simplified version of history – it’s all cause and effect, no room for interpretation.
It all feels like everyone was working overtime to make up for the lacklustre narrative. Elizabeth: The Golden Age doesn’t offer anything new, and it doesn’t feel like it builds enough upon the previous film to be a worthwhile endeavour. (In this regard it’s much like Spider-Man 2 actually, though with fewer tentacles.)