Movie Reviews for The Tudors - The Complete First Season

The Tudors - The Complete First Season

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Movie Reviews of The Tudors - The Complete First Season

Movie Review: Sumptuous
Summary: 4 Stars

"The Tudors" is a highly entertaining, decadent, sumptuous, R-rated soap opera. As you can tell right from the sudsy opening credits, this is not a "period piece" like you would see on the BBC or in a Merchant & Ivory film. Despite its setting in 16th century England, it really has more in common with other modern cable dramas. It uses the setting of the Court of Henry VIII as a way to explore the relationships between politics, religion, sex, power and overindulgence.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Henry VIII as an unapologetic alpha male who truly seems to feel that the world around him is obliged to indulge his every whim and desire. Excessive, melodramatic, impulsive and passionate, the smartest and most cunning people around him use flattery and subtle manipulation in order to follow through with their own agendas. Some of the characters who inhabit the first season include his best friend Charles, who uses his position to live like a promiscuous rock star, Cardinal Wolsey, who runs Henry's political affairs while positioning himself to be Pope, Ann Boleyn, who seduces Henry as a calculated move to gain power and position for her family, and Henry's wife Queen Katherine, who, although dignified and virtuous, will not gotten out of the way easily.

I've never studied the actual history of Henry VIII, so I really can't speak to the historical accuracy of the show. I can say that the show seems to be speaking as much about modern politics through its storylines as the issues of the day. The show is at its best when the characters have to face the consequences for their opportunistic, self-indulgent behavior, and at it's work when, like so many other cable dramas, it feels the need for excessive use of simulated, soft-core porn style sex scenes.

Movie Review: Amazing
Summary: 5 Stars

I only started watching the Tudors in the Second Season and I fell in love with it so I ordered the 1st Season to watch it. It was much better than expected. I had planned to watch only one episode per day but I was on the edge of my seat so I watched the entire season in one day.

Movie Review: Vapid Nonsense
Summary: 1 Stars

Note to Showtime: Bad idea to to put your own spin on one of the most well documented periods of English History. I certainly understand that in depicting history, it is necessary to telescope events or even weed out minor figures. However, by "combining" Henry's sisters, the brainiacs at Showtime have wiped out both Lady Jane Grey and Mary Queen of Scots! Margaret, the older sister, married the King of Scotland and was grandmother to Mary. Mary, the younger sister, initially married the King of France (and was rumored to have killed him via exertions in the marriage bed, not a pillow) and then went on to marry Brandon. Her daughter, Frances, gave birth to Lady Jane Grey. I gather from reading the boards that Margaret goes on to die of consumption. I can only assume that the British actors taking part in these 8 episode romp thru the beds of rich-n-famous courtiers figured Americans were too ignorant to know their history anyway. For a much better representation of Tudor England, buy the Keith Mitchell series "Henry the VII and his Six Wives".

Movie Review: Attractively filmed series but historically glamorized.
Summary: 4 Stars

While I enjoyed the style of this miniseries and likely will watch future seasons of it, as a Anglo-history buff, some of the glamorizations done to the facts (or complete misconstruing of the facts to make for better drama) bothered me.

Others have mentioned all the historical inaccuracies, and they do abound. Still hopefully this series will entice folks to look deeper into the actual history.

My recommendation to anyone seeking really good drama on Henry VIII that combines with good history is watch "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" with Keith Michell. This drama is nowhere near that calibre, though it has the advantage of gorgeous filming.