Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

gpeevers While this is not great movie, it is still an enjoyable one, especially if you have an interest in historical dramas. Despite its title the film is not just the story of Mary Queen of Scots (Vanessa Redgrave) but is also the story of her cousin Queen Elizabeth (Glenda Jackson).The film features a couple of great performances from Redgrave and Jackson who are both Oscar winning actresses. The picture has some good supporting performances from veterans such as; Patrick McGoohan, Trevor Howard, Nigel Davenport as well as such relative newcomers as Ian Holm and Timothy Dalton.In addition to the fine performances I've already mentioned the film also looks very good and features some very nice locations. The film also boasts a very good score from composer John Barry, who won a number of Oscars for his work and his perhaps best known for his numerous Bond scores.Despite these strengths though the film only rates 3 stars for me. Although I can find no glaring faults, I believe my problems lie mostly with the story structure and the inability of the film to build either sufficient emotion or tension. While the inter-cutting of the two stories seems interesting perhaps it was a mistake to structure the story in such a way. Further the secondary characters are perhaps to numerous as many disappear rather quickly without sufficient resolution.As iconic as Cate Blanchett has become of late in her portrayals of Queen Elizabeth, at one time Glenda Jackson virtually owned the role with both this film and an Emmy winning performance in Elizabeth R.

blanche-2 Vanessa Redgrave is "Mary, Queen of Scots" in this 1972 film which stars Glenda Jackson, Patrick McGoohan, Timothy Dalton, Ian Holm and Nigel Davenport. What a pity that young people today don't have a chance to see the great Jackson, who has retired, or Redgrave, who no longer plays leads in films. These two women are powerhouses playing two completely different types of women - Elizabeth (Jackson) is powerful, distrusting and manipulative, while vulnerable, sensitive Mary is in way over her head.The story covers the death of Mary's husband in France and her arrival in Scotland to be their Queen. The history behind this is fascinating, since Mary was something like 9 months when she was first made Queen of Scotland. One of the things that made her reign controversial was her Catholic faith; Ireland was Protestant. Since Mary is a legitimate daughter of James V of Scotland and Elizabeth is considered by Catholics to be the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII, as she was conceived before Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn, her cousin Elizabeth sees her as a threat to her own crown. Mary would be next in line to ascend the throne (also controversial due to Henry VIII's Act of Settlement, which forbade Stuarts to inherit the throne). Elizabeth goes to any lengths to protect her position. She sees through Mary immediately, realizing she has no political sense, and manipulates her into marrying the conniving, bisexual Lord Darnley (Dalton), who later tries to secure the throne for himself. Mary gets it from all sides, including her half-brother, Jamie, a Protestant who acted as Regent in Scotland while she was in France, betrothed as she was at the age of 5. With the birth of her son, James (who became James I of England and James VI of Scotland), Mary fights as best she can so that her son will one day rule.The acting is magnificent from all of the stars; it would be impossible to choose one as better than the other, though certainly McGoohan, as Mary's brother, and Ian Holm, as Riccio, had excellent roles that showcased their abilities. But they're all wonderful. The scenery is gorgeous.In the '60s and early '70s, these dramas about English royalty were all the rage, making for complicated, interesting stories and fascinating, real-life characters. It looks like now, they're returning again. The film world needs them, as they represent a return to three-dimensional people, compelling history and - dare I say it - good leading roles for women.

bixster I only just saw this movie for the very first time on one of my cable movie channels and have seen it several times over the past week. I love British movies and I was blown away by all the great actors and the locations and castles used for the filming. The two ladies performances are so strong and were framed by all the great male actors. Patrick McGoohan is awesome, and his steely look playing other roles has always inspired me. From his role as the Disney "Scarecrow" to the Prisoner. Just awesome. I was mesmerized by Nigel Davenport. Nigel had my attention the entire time he was on screen. Nigel, like Patrick, has an awesome look about him and how he carries himself. I will definitely buy the DVD of this movie and get my son to watch it.

Moor-Larkin The nomination of this movie as the British Royal Film Performance may seem ironic given it's royally internecine themes of murder and attempted coups. The myth of the tragic Mary Stuart is further tangled by imagined meetings between herself and her unwilling nemesis, Elizabeth I.Somewhat episodic, it reminded me of another Vanessa Redgrave vehicle, also involving Patrick McGoohan: "Three Sovereigns for Sarah". As that film also did, this movie attempts to tell a thirty year long story, this time starting with Mary's beginnings as a widowed teenager and not ending until her execution twenty-seven years later. This ambition dooms the film to gradually become un-involving, as the tense speeds on through the years faster than my emotional ability to keep pace.It is certainly a worthy movie with some highlights. The grisly (Shakespearian) murder of Mary's Italian 'fancy', played by Ian Holm, is still shocking, even in today's gore-ridden movie climate. The later murder of Timothy Dalton is less startling, though more drawn out. I was impressed by Dalton's performance. He did well in his portrayal of the erratic personality of the Lord Darnley. Patrick McGoohan impresses as Mary's dour brother, ever the realist (conducting peace-keeping transactions with Glenda Jackson's English Court) but equally willing to help his irresponsible half-sister stay alive.Mr. McGoohan is always a highlight for this reviewer. He was very restrained but still effective as the pragmatic Regent. If only the foolish Mary had listened to him, her life could have been very different (and longer).