Expected more

Absolutely Fantastic

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

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

All you need to know is that Benedict Cumberbatch plays Richard III. I saw that, and I knew I wanted to watch it. He is superb, I dare say even the Bard himself could not come up with words to say how incredibly he captured this role. Season 2 is about the War of the Roses, using Shakespeare's Henry VI Parts 1 and 2 and Richard III for dialogue. It is different from other film versions of Shakespeare's plays that I've seen which are movie versions of the plays. This is essentially a series of three movies using Shakespeare's dialogue, so when action can replace dialogue, that is what happens. I don't think I've ever heard Shakespeare delivered so realistically and effectively. Though Benedict Cumberbatch plays the meatiest role, everyone in it is outstanding. After each episode, I looked up the real people to find out how much was real and how much fictional. Another powerful role is Henry's wife, Margaret, played by Sophie Okonedo. One of the most dramatic parts, I figured was fictional, was factual. In some parts, I wondered, did Shakespeare actually write it that way? I looked it up. Yes, he did. The dream sequence at the end is really something. It's still in my head. The battle scenes and murders are very gory, at least they sounded gory, I hid my eyes at those parts. I was disappointed that it ended, the story not the gore. I wanted it to go on. Then I found out there is a Season 1! I can't wait to watch it.

If my father was alive I think he would be giddy to see this because he enjoyed Shakespeare and WW2 movies almost equally. Few household include Shakespeare plays as everyday topics, Marc Anthony's speech when drying dishes and we were fortunate. When Shakespeare questions are asked on 'University Challenge' I find myself screaming at the confused teenagers who were not so lucky.Granted, 'Coriolanus' was a favorite, but almost all of Shakespeare plays have blood pumping through them and deserve the full treatment of location, mud, costume and conflict so we can absorb the poetry of the script.This production is likely to open the door to Shakespeare for people who were not given a friendly introduction. As with Opera, some experiences open a door to appreciation and understanding. (mine was the £5 ticket to Covent Garden in 1996 because you only understand what the fuss is about when experiencing a quality, live performance)To the original audiences, the death of a king was a shocking as the JFK assassination is to us. They enjoyed the glamor, the insight and the drama inherent in power struggles, ambition, just as we do today.Season 1 - looks at how Henry IV took power, his difficulties with his son and how his son (Henry V) adjusted. Is there anything more timeless than one generation attempting to guide and train the younger? Youthful rejection of everything offered? Recognition too late that the parent was heroic and worthy of admiration?For some reason, the character of Sir John, penetrated my understanding more when watching this, than ever before. This is likely as a result of my deeper understand as a result of the passage of time.Season 2 - The third generation (Henry VI) raised without paternal guidance, struggles to keep the crown. The War of the Roses leading to bloody battle. Richard III, was to say the least, ambitious.The Hollow Crown has an excellent cast.

Hugely acclaimed on their release, I have only just got around to watching this tetralogy of films based on the plays by William Shakespeare - and they're rubbish. The biggest problem is the casting: Ben Whishaw plays Richard II as a laughably fey figure, whilst Tom Hiddleston as (the future) Henry V is too introverted and skinny to convince as either a daredevil wastrel (Henry IV Parts 1 & 2) or a mighty warrior king (Henry V). These central failures destroy much of the fine work done by the other actors (Patrick Stewart, Simon Russell-Beale etcetera). This is compounded by the lousy direction, which is flat and lifeless. The locations are wasted and used largely as mere backgrounds (barring the near-blasphemous linking of the dead Richard II and Jesus Christ through a slow shot of a life-size wooden crucifix). Whilst I don't mind the prose delivery of Shakespeare's verse, the way in which it is done is terrible; the actors are left to speechify to an unmoving camera, without any of the movement or visual flow necessary to successfully adapt from the stage to screen. The choice of setting is also odd, with the production trying for a pseudo-historical look but getting the costumes all wrong (rubber fantasy armour, Darth Vader helmets, and turbans!) and persisting with the official policy of colour-blind casting (which is sure to mislead some people) despite its ludicrous incongruity in this context. Much of the budget appears to have been wasted on sub-"Saving Private Ryan" battles, leaving Tom Hiddleston to give (his rather weedy version of) the Crispin's Day Speech to about five people, all of whom are aristocrats (thereby undermining the whole point of the speech). Symptomatic of the whole farrago is that Larry Olivier's 70-year old version of "Henry V" is better acted, more historically accurate, more inventively staged and better directed - so you're better off watching that instead!

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to watch all three parts of this trilogy, mainly because one was postponed due to a Wimbledon match being played in its stead! Anyway, this is a marvellous production, brilliantly acted, particularly by Tom Hiddleston as King Henry. There's tragedy and humour, both wonderfully portrayed by a string of brilliant actors who know what they are doing.Budgetary constraints prevented the showing of the epic battle scenes (for example at Agincourt) that have become standard in Hollywood, usually with a heavy use of CGI. This did not detract from the production at all, because it is about real acting, including a beautiful use of language. The costumes and locations also worked well.Well done the BBC – may you produce many more such productions, and well done the cast. This production stands out among all the horrible 'reality TV' dross that is spewed out on our screens. I cannot wait to buy The Hollow Crown once it is out on DVD.