Enjoyable Film
I have a love/hate relationship with this movie. I've always felt that Oliver Reed was the stand-out performance in this film. The man could certainly play pained, suffering, and world weary like few others. One of the great delights in watching something like this is seeing Oliver Reed's fight scenes. The man could brawl with class. Charlton Heston puts in a fine performance, but it seems odd to have an American in the role of Henry VIII. (Why I didn't have the same reservations about his Richelieu in The Three and Four Musketeers, I'm not sure... unless it was for the serious lack of Frenchmen in those films.)Mark Lester seems completely out of place in the duel roles of Tom Canty and Edward, Prince of Wales. If memory serves, Edward was only ten years old at the time of Henry VIII's death. If they'd done the movie a decade earlier right off of Lester's "Oliver", perhaps it would have worked better. But, as it is, the 19 year old seems very awkward in the film. Other ducks out of water are Ernest Borgnine and Raquel Welch.
The costumes are marvelous. I can watch this movie just to enjoy the sets, scenery and other detail.
score 7/10
dougglenn1215 18 January 2006
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1269010/35447
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