For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Prime Minister Francis Urqhart will stop at nothing in his bid to gain ultimate control over Great Britain. Now, he is threatening to expose some of the royal families most scandalous secrets if the king continues to stand in his way. The media explodes as the two men go head to head in their efforts to gain the upper hand. Stories of sexual escapades, economic fiascos and more flood TV, magazines, the internet and newspapers. It appears that Urqhart just may succeed in his attempt to overthrow the monarchy.Underhanded, dirty, low down politics (are we sure this isn't the U.S?) take center stage in this story of ego and the ultimate bid for supremacy.

To Play the King is the follow-up to the British House of Cards miniseries, the basis for the current American Netflix show House of Cards. The last time we saw Francis Urquhart, he was on his way to becoming prime minister. That poses questions of where to go from there- he no longer has a prime minister to topple. There's only one spot above the prime minister in the British system, and that's the monarchy.A new king is crowned (in real life, we haven't seen a coronation since 1952), and the new monarch intends to get involved in political matters. A liberal with sympathy for minorities and the marginalized, he is soon construed as critical of the policies of Urquhart's Conservative government and wins the public's affections. Soon, Urquhart and the king are engaged in a Machiavellian struggle for power, the king seeking Urquhart's defeat at the polls, Urquhart seeking the king's abdication.In political philosophy, I'm actually closer to the king than Urquhart. However, this is complicated, as in an age of democracy I do think a person with an inherited ceremonial title shouldn't interfere in government. I'm Canadian, and we share Britain's monarch and system. It made me angry to see a king thinking he has a right to dictate what's done in his name, dining with Opposition leaders and speaking out against government. This goes against constitutional convention- yet the concerning thing is, there isn't really much, constitutionally speaking, stopping a monarch from doing such things. While in this matter, Urquhart may have more right, of course he is no saint.House of Cards (both versions) are grim, almost ridiculously so, in having a high-stature political official not just ordering killings, but doing them with his own hands. To Play the King hasn't forgotten Mattie Storin- on the contrary, she's still very much there in spirit. Urquhart is haunted by her death and the guilt, showing he's not totally inhuman. She also becomes an obsession of Urquhart's new lover, Sarah Harding. As with the original miniseries, To Play the King is a study of realpolitik, a dark and pessimistic view of power and human nature. It's an intriguing and engaging watch, just as with its predecessor.

This was the follow up series to House Of Cards, continuing the rise and rise up the Greasy Pole of Francis Urquhart, good old FU to us viewer-confidantes. Or as in all of his friends opinions, a right old swine because he stops at nothing to cling on to power.FU is a UK Prime Minister with plenty of dark secrets in his murky past – just for a change – when from his wife he gets the idea of hiring a bright young woman as his "slave" to do his (political) bidding. While engaged in a running battle of wits with the earnest and wimpish ruling monarch he finds that he needs her ideas, input and eventually her sexual support too. And only natural too, for what are Men but mere slaves to the Urge? Unfortunately along with his other aide she gets too many ideas, such as what really happened to his former lover? It's all as well done as the first series, and just as predictable – but refreshing cynicism on its own isn't quite enough this time round. When it came the climax was totally foreseeable – which only made me wonder why they couldn't foresee it! Introducing people per episode, nurturing them and then killing them off was something I used to laugh at in Star Trek over 40 years ago. However, ignoring the shallow ending the plot itself was engrossing enough to keep me hooked for another four hours, and Ian Richardson's wonderfully nasty and slimy performance certainly was a masterclass.It's an entertaining time passer which also informs and educates if you need it – never ever trust any politician, or aristocrat for that matter, period.

This mini-series is the second in the three adapted by Andrew Davies from Michael Dobbie's books. It is less of a romp than the first, `House of Cards', in which Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson) gets to the top of the slippery pole by various underhand means; in fact he is now secure as prime minister and leader of the conservative party. He has, however, a problem with the king, a Prince Charles-type figure, who is not prepared to be a mere figurehead but aspires to be the conscience of the nation. This of course simply will not do and Francis and the king are soon on a collision course. The result is inevitable, and once again `F U' leaves bodies in his wake. The king's angst is wonderfully realised by Michael Keaton, though he does seem a bit intelligent for a member of the present British royal family. Again, the supporting actors are delightful, with Colin Jeavons, the man born to play Uriah Heep, creepily unctious and then coldly furious as Stamper the Whip, who Francis rejects for higher office. Diane Fletcher as Elizabeth Urquhart continues smoothly in her Lady Macbeth role and there are some great clown characters such as the two princesses (not a million miles from Diana and Fergie) and the gallant Sir Bruce, editor of the `Daily Muckracker,' played with boozy enthusiasm by David Ryall. Towards the end the show weakens a bit, and the final explosions are rather contrived. It is interesting, though, how an able, ruthless character like `F U' attracts supporters – there are plenty of people more than happy to carry out his orders, like Corder, his security man (Nick Brimble). The King, on the other hand, is supported by nice people, but like him, they become victims. The relationship between hereditary monarch and elected prime minister is an important one, and Dobbie has to be commended for drawing attention to it; his bleak conclusion is that the King, who once could do no wrong, can now do no good. That's a pity, for someone needs to exercise some supervision over the `F U's' of this world. Once again, this is good entertainment, if not such a romp as the first series.