The ever-magnificent Cate Blanchett delivers a commanding performance as one of history's strongest and most influential women in this sequel to the stunning 1998 production Elizabeth.

In fact, her performance recently caused Oscar to doff his cap for her yet again -- the first time in 30 years that an actor has been twice nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for portraying the same character.

The film itself, which concerns Elizabeth's tribulations with both domestic dilemmas and an invading Spanish army, isn't quite the powerhouse drama that was the original, but this is more to do with the writing than the players.

The script takes extraordinary liberties with Elizabeth and other historical figures featured in the film, relying less on the inspiring truth of actual events and more on director Shekhar Kapur's ability to engage the audience with imaginative camerawork and imagery. How much this appeals to the individual viewer is a matter of taste.

There's not much in the way of original extra content on either the DVD or HD-DVD editions. A commentary filled with all of the main players -- including Kapur, Blanchett, Clive Owen, and Geoffery Rush -- is interesting, if only because it allows us to listen to casual discussion between a sizable group of this generation's best actors.

The featurettes are short and predictable; expect to learn about the sets, effects, and gorgeous costumes.
 

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