Intrigue, romance and war in this historical sequel

Rating: 8/10 (31 May 2019)

The previous film, just called 'Elizabeth', showed the early years of Elizabeth I's reign; now she is an established monarch but her problems are not over. There advisers want her to clamp down on English Catholics as they believe they are plotting against her in an attempt to put her cousin, the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, on the throne. The Spanish are looking for an excuse to invade and pressure is being put on her to marry and produce an heir. Explorer Walter Raleigh, just back from claiming an area of the New World, which he has named Virginia in her honour, catches her eye and they become friends. He is also attracted to her attendant Bess Throckmorton. As various plots play out the Spanish launch a giant armada to invade England; the odds are in the Spanish fleet's favour but a small English force prepares to meet it.
If you insist on historical accuracy you are likely to be disappointed but if you are happy with a film that provides romance, plotting and a fiery naval battle then this is a lot of fun. The story moves at a good pace and has interesting central characters. Cate Blanchett impresses in the title role; the rest of the cast are solid too; notably Clive Owen and Abbie Cornish as Raleigh and Bess Throckmorton respectively. The settings mostly look great... even if the iconic Eilean Donan Castle; a coastal castle in Scotland sees an odd standing for the inland Fotheringay Castle in Northamptonshire! The battle scenes only take up a small part of the film but were thrilling even though the result is known. Overall I enjoyed this far more than I expected and would recommend it to fans of films with historical settings who aren't too worried about historical accuracy.