SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Chase_Witherspoon If you haven't time to immerse yourself in the mini-series, then this two hour, compact 'preview' will give you a neatly constructed overview of the virile King and his exploits as he seeks to secure his lineage by conceiving a successor to his throne.Rather than condense aspects of the original mini-series (which essentially set aside one episode per wife, to put it crudely), this film version has been entirely remade. Only Michell reprises his title role, showcasing his intuitive interpretation of the rambunctious, though sometimes fragile majesty. Perhaps predictably, Charlotte Rampling's Anne Boleyn has the greatest exposure, though each of the wives acquit themselves well with the often limited dedicated screen time (the lovely Jane Asher playing the ill-fated Jane Seymour stands-out among the rest).Aussie actor Michell is a more vulnerable King Henry VIII than other memorable incarnations produced by Charles Laughton or Robert Shaw, displaying a deep-seeded personality conflict that while not unique to the character, is played with a more sympathetic tone and gesture.Hussein's ultra-light has its moments, although clearly it proves difficult to compress six marriages each with their own ulterior motives and intrigue into a mere two hour snapshot. For a preview, it's superb, though it's really no substitute for the mini-series time permitting.

Leofwine_draca This is benchmark-quality drama, a two-hour film retelling of the lives (and deaths) of Henry VII's wives that uses much the same cast and crew as a previous six-hour BBC miniseries.As a film, it's pretty much unbeatable and sets a standard of high quality that few others can match. Sets, costumes and backdrop are all superb, but of course the real strengths lie in the script and the calibre of acting. Keith Michell stars in a role he was born to play, never less than authentic whether he's playing Henry as an athletic young man or as an obese ancient. He also manages to make the tyrant deeply human, which is another string to his bow.With the full story of the six wives crammed into a two-hour time slot, the pacing is fast and the script full of drama. Some of the wives fare better than others, but highlights include Charlotte Rampling's witchy Anne Boleyn and Lynne Frederick's captivating innocent, Catherine Howard. Filling the supporting cast with familiar, entertaining figures like Michael Gough, Donald Pleasence and Brian Blessed is another plus.Most of all, though, I found this retelling succeeded far better in bringing to life the era than others - check out the terrible THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL for a good comparison. We learn much about politics, entertainment and religion of the era, but it's never told in a dry or heavy way. Unbeatable? Yes, I think this is.

IridescentTranquility I first saw this film, aged about ten, as a result of my great interest in the famous King Henry and I think possibly also because I was in the middle of writing a short play about him. It's been a while since I saw this, but - looking back - I think I was perhaps a bit young to view it back then. There's nothing explicitly gory or violent but some scenes - on reflection - are perhaps a bit much for children of that age.Nevertheless, it does tell the story of Henry and his wives, even if you get the sense that some things (the real Catherine of Aragon, for instance, was pregnant about six times, but you'd never know it from this - one might get the impression that she only had two children before Henry tired of her) are brushed over a bit. In keeping with the real time span, a lot of time is concentrated on Catherine and her successor Anne Boleyn although I seem to remember that nothing much is made of, for instance, Henry's need to marry the pregnant Anne before she bore the future Elizabeth I.Although the story is told in flashback and some major points in history (eg. the dissolution of the monasteries) are dealt with through scene montages, you do get a flavour of Henry VIII's character and life - notice how the plainly-dressed Jane Seymour becomes more decorated as she gains the king's notice - and even an idea of communication in Tudor times (he decided to marry Anne of Cleves because he saw a miniature of her). It occurs to me that the focus on Henry may be a disadvantage - we don't see Anne of Cleves adapt to life as the King's sister, we don't see the Holy Roman Emperor enraged when his aunt Catherine of Aragon is being divorced, we don't see much of the infant Elizabeth I at all.One opinion this film formed for me was the idea that Katherine Howard was very much a victim of fate. I have read that the real woman was sexually precocious (although this film merely gives the impression that she was a bit flirty) because of her grandmother's lack of moral guidance, but this interpretation made me think that the Duke of Norfolk, head of the Howards, suddenly jumped on an opportunity to get into Henry's good books by pushing a young family member under the King's nose (apparently unaware of his teenage niece's past - she must certainly have been the least suitable member of his family to have been promoted in this way) without bothering to properly consider his actions.Little is made of Catherine Parr - after Henry's dispatch of his fifth queen - and one gets the impression that he settled into a happy family life, failing to mention that he did in fact have the unfortunate woman investigated due to her religious convictions. However, my A-Level history lessons led me to believe that mediaeval kings were quite at liberty to be ruthless despots, and Keith Michell certainly gives us an idea that Henry was that way inclined.

dac87 I was fortunate enough to locate a copy of this very rare drama on ebay. I was entranced by the beauty of the sets, costumes, and acting. The film begins with Henry on his death bed. He begins to look back on his rather... productive marital career. First we meet Catherine of Aragon, who is tragically unable to give Henry a son; she is divorced so that Henry can wed the sexy Anne Boleyn. Anne's portrayal is not flattering as it makes her look guilty of the crimes she is accused of later in the film. She is quickly beheaded (off screen, we only hear talk of the execution)after she fails to provide an heir. Next comes plain Jane Seymour; she is the image of goodness and trust, and it breaks the viewer's heart to see her mistreated by Henry. Jane would be the wife that would give birth to a son, but unfortunately she died after child birth, leaving Henry to locate a new spouse. Heads begin to roll when Henry is talk into marrying Anne of Cleves; Henry believed her to be attractive and was told by many people (most of whom gained something if the two were to marry) of her beauty. When he meets the new queen, he is appalled by her looks and outraged that he should be forced into this marriage, so he beheads those who got him into this mess and divorces Anne. He sets his eyes on the VERY young Catherine Howard(the most pity-able of the wives). After a whirlwind romance, Henry learns that Catherine is not all she claims to be and, begrudgingly tries her for treason. She is beheaded. He then meets up with Catherine Parr, who outlived him. This is an absolute MUST for anyone studying Henry VIII or his wives.