Too many fans seem to be blown away

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Such a frustrating disappointment

Blistering performances.

Ben Willbond's Philip of Spain is a genius comic creation. It's worth watching the film for him alone but on top of that it's a great film with plenty of classic moments and obscure references stuffed into it. A Python-esque comedy in the silliest English tradition.

I have just watched this movie on Amazon Prime. I had never heard of it but it was free to view so I thought I would give it a try. I ended up watching it till the end (plus the credits) and really enjoyed it. It was amusing rather than funny but I laughed out loud a few times. It is a bit silly so is not recommended if you like serious films. However, if you like Monty Python and Blackadder you should like this film. I will not say anything about the story as if you are reading this you are obviously on IMDb so will probably have read the plot and a few other reviews. It is definitely worth watching and surprisingly good. More so if you are from the UK as other nationalities will miss a lot of the jokes and humour. It is also full of quotes from Shakespeare, Easter Eggs and at least one reference to a certain science fiction movie.

Talking to a friend about what her kids had recently become interested in,she mentioned that along with the Goosebumps books that they had recently been watching the BBC series Horrible Histories a lot.Taking a look round a local DVD shop a few days later,I was happily surprised to discover that the Horrible Histories team had made a movie!,which led to me getting ready to meet Bill.The plot:Sacked by his band Mortal Coil, William 'Bill' Shakespeare starts to think about what job he can now do.Since he has written a play over the last few years, Shakespeare decides to go against the wishes of his wife Anne Hathaway and leave Stratford-upon-Avon to make his name as a playwright in London.As Shakespeare gets advice on entering the stage world from Christopher Marlowe and gets offered funding from Juan, Earl of Croydon, King Phillip II of Spain starts making plans to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I.View on the film:Following Shakespeare round London in a great tracking shot which breaths in the muck covering London,director Richard Bracewell and cinematographer Laurie Rose cast an enchanting atmosphere,by giving the title a sweet quirky appearance,where all of the historical figures look like they have one foot in a fantasy world. Splinting by its 90 minute running time,the superb screenplay by Laurence Rickard & Ben Willbond release the Barb's sonnet at lightning speed.Joyfully playing around with historical facts, (a ghost Christopher Marlowe!) Rickard and Willbond thread witty wordplay with cheerfully silly visual puns and catchy songs.Whilst the jokes bounce across the screen,the writers keep the footlights lit with a slick plot which links Shakespeare plays with masters of disguise and assassination attempts.Leaping to the big screen,the ensemble cast each give superb performances.Each taking on multiple roles,the cast give each part a unique quality,from Simon Farnaby making the Earl of Croydon desperate to be a socialite,to Mathew Baynton making "Bill" (who is pals with "Chris" Christopher Marlowe!) a wide-eyed fool,as Bill discovers the horrible histories.

A very entertaining, irreverent take on how Shakespeare rose to fame. It's really quite silly but on the same hand quite consistent with its own internal logic. (Unlike say Pan or Prometheus which are both a narrative mess where characters completely flip- flop for no other reason than the writer was too thick or lazy to find another way to progress the plot)King Phillip II of Spain is a joyously dickish main antagonist with some great one liners. Sir Francis Walsingham is just bizarre and Bill himself is charmingly gormless.The film left me with a smile on my face and kinda wishing I got a few more of the Shakespeare references. It also has me randomly blurting out 'King Phillip the Second of Spain' on occasion. Well done Team Horrible Histories!