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List Price: $40.99 | | Label: Showtime Ent.
Salesrank: 230
Released: January 6, 2009 |
| Our Price: $14.99 |
| Used Price: $13.47 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 01/06/2009 Run time: 542 minutes Rating: Nr
Description of The Tudors - The Complete Second Season:
Power, sex, delusion and tragedy were hallmarks of The Tudors: The Complete First Season, and they are all the more so in The Complete Second Season. The story of Britain's King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), The Tudors is a dynamic history of a kingdom whose role on the 16th century world stage seems largely defined by Henry's narcissistic whims. Season two is very much taken up with Henry's determination to break free of papal authority in Rome and establish himself as head of England's church--all because he seeks to divorce Queen Catherine (Maria Doyle Kennedy) and marry Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer). Meanwhile, poor Catherine is kept locked away from court, unable to see her daughter Mary (Sarah Bolger) but refusing to relinquish her throne despite such punishment. As for Anne, she enjoys Henry's passion and commitment, but only to a point. When Henry marries her (in a union not recognized by Rome nor many British subjects) and she does not produce a male heir, his fickle attentions begin to wander, and a grand power play by Anne's father, Thomas Boleyn (Nick Dunning) begins to unravel. In time, Henry's focus shifts to soon-to-be third wife Jane Seymour (Anita Briem), whom the king sees as a symbol of his own redemption after the complications of his love life to date. Toward the end of The Complete Second Season, all the hints that Henry's lack of scruples is leading to a full-scale psychological breakdown begin to show, manifest in his many cruelties and--at the last minute--a clear sign of his notorious gluttony to come. Other stories woven into the colorful, lustful, intrigue-driven season two concern the fate of Henry's one-time mentor Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northam), who refuses to cooperate with Henry's attempted separation from the Catholic faith and pays dearly for it. The pope himself (Peter O'Toole) turns up in sometimes near-comical responses to the king's intransigence, and the untimely fate of many interesting characters during Henry's wrathful sweep of his court proves a shocking development mid-season. All the actors are first-rate, even down to the smallest roles, and the show's spare but compelling use of nudity and sex scenes makes The Tudors powerful adult entertainment. --Tom Keogh
The Tudors - The Complete Second Season Reviews:
Brilliant. absolutely brilliant 
2009-11-04 - yes.. i love this series. cant wait for season 3 to get here and cant wait for the final 4th season to start.
Not as good as season one but definitely still worth owning!
2009-10-09 - I feel so many people before me have said it well enough before me. This season has it high moments but overall last season surpassed it. However, it is still worth buying and watching.
The exploiters
2009-10-06 - It's TV, not a history lesson, and The Tudors, Season 2 delivers good period drama, with plenty of courtly plotting. Natalie Dormer brings grit and moxie to her role as Anne Boleyn, and while Henry VIII was a bit older than Rhys-Meyers appears, it's amazing to watch as the king slides into the megalomania that characterized the second half of his reign. Nick Dunning is spot on as Anne's cunning, cold father. Unfortunately, Anita Briem is miscast as Henry's next paramour, Jane Seymour, who was not the beautiful, nubile temptress portrayed here. The highlight of this season, of course, is the execution of Queen Anne, and what a death scene Ms. Dormer turns in, showing the mettle that gave Anne the power to dethrone a sitting queen. And the final scene, Henry enjoying a "subtlety", reveals him as the selfish tyrant that he truly was.
This is a grand, sumptuous production, with eye popping costumes and scenery. While it could easily have gone over the top, the directors deserve credit for using at least a modicum of restraint. This series is great fun. Don't take it too seriously and you'll have a wonderful viewing experience.
British Monarchy rules!
2009-10-03 - This makes whatever has gone in our government over the last 70 years
seem like patty cake. The acting is superb, the actors are marvelous
and I specially like the woman who played Queen Katherine of Arigonne.
I am eager to see Season 3.
The Tudors Season 2 
2009-10-01 - I took a number of history classes back when I was in HS in the 1950s. As I recall from my history books, though they were mere overviews of the period, what I saw depicted in the Tudor series was a lot as I remembered it. The actors did a fine job depicting their characters and I was more than pleased with my purchase. I look forward to getting more on the series. Reminiscent of the movie "Becket" and the torrid performances of both O'Toole and Burton. You cannot go wrong with this Showtime series if you love English history and fine acting.
