Nice effects though.

Just so...so bad

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

The premise of this show is fascinating. However, the excessive fact twisting, fabrications and omissions make this on a pseudo-entertaining fictional program at best. So not necessary (or historically accurate - he'd burn in hell for all eternity) to show the king pleasuring himself or to have so many tertiary story lines that are solely for the purpose of showing boobs.

The best things about this drama were the costuming, the photography and the sets. So disappointed in the casting director's failure to research characters before making the choices for Henry VII and Anne of Cleves. Henry was a giant of a man for his day - - I believe at least 6' 2" or more and had a bright red mane of hair. His imposing appearance added greatly to his ability to intimidate his subjects. Casting such a pretty woman to play Anne of Cleves was ridiculous. In truth, the real Anne was purportedly so ugly that Henry couldn't get himself to perform his conjugal duties (despite his desire for a son) and so he got his marriage annulled. Too bad they didn't pay attention to historical facts, it would have been a much better show. I prefer the old BBC productions of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I that were aired. I believe, back in the '70s. And, more time should have been spent on the story line and characters' personalities rather than the never- ending sex scenes.

Tudors is in my opinion the representative of the new wave of TV series, where a lot is invested into the artistic quality of each episode and also the new and innovative style is showcased. Almost every episode of Tudors is a little gem and it never gets boring. It is intense all the way through and not only the main players but also all supporting characters and one-off appearances are masterfully crafted and "filled from inside" with psychological truth.I think people who nag at the historical accuracy don't really get the vision of the show. This series does not have the ambition of being to-the-dot-accurate history lesson, it's ambition is to create an exciting drama. And that function it fills beautifully.Any movie maker knows that even if you make a documentary you cannot take every hour of every day and show every minute of it. You have to make a selection of the facts - and that selection will always be subjective. Besides, even historians do not know exactly what went on in Henry's court on a daily basis because they did not sleep in his bed and did not eat at his table, did they? The facts we have from history are also just a selection and there is no knowing whether it is a whole truth or not. And movie making is an art form - and in the work of art it is perfectly legal to bend the reality any way you like - as far it is engaging to the audiences. The bending of some facts is totally insignificant from the point of view of a bigger picture. The show has two main layers - one is timeless, universal - this is the story about human nature and basic forces that drive it, about darkness and light in human soul - and the other is a specific period in history, the specifics and the feel of it. The show blends both aspects naturally and beautifully.Many people complain about the choice of the actor for Henry the VIII. In my opinion the choice of Jonathan Mayers was a stroke of genius. Yes, he did not have the physique of the character but he portrayed brilliantly the nature of Henry the VIII - his dark side, his inner conflicts, his human side. Besides, it is a love story - who would want to see fat and shapeless Henry? Beat the historical accuracy! I loved the way they had sexed up the historic characters.The other stroke of genius was to cast Natalie Dormer as Ann Boleyn. Hers was the best Ann Boleyns portrayal ever. She had exactly this quality that has been described about historic Ann Boleyn - she was not a classical beauty, but there was something irresistibly captivating about her. I never got tired of watching her. Also Dormer and Jonathan Mayers had a fantastic on screen chemistry.What made that series overall so good was that almost all characters, both big and small were intense and believable. They bent the facts now and then but I feel they portrayed the psychology of the people of Henry the VIII times very well. The dreams and goals people had, their fears, their mindset, etc. They managed to show the inner life of historic figures in such a way that it was really believable and captivating.

I've noticed that some of the reviewers have criticized "The Tudors" for historical inaccuracies…all I can say is that to expect filmmakers to honestly and accurately give a historical account of a story is like expecting a defense attorney to make an accurate accounting of the facts for his suspected client.I don't know much about the historical truths behind "The Tudors" so I just sat back and enjoyed the 4 seasons, which covers which I guess to be about the final 25 years of Henry's reign as King. This series would either soar or sink on Jonathan Rhys Meyers portrayal of Henry as the cruel, gluttonous, self-indulgent and perpetually horny King. We get to meet all 6 of his wives, plus a seemingly endless entourage of mistresses, as Henry has his problems separating love from lust. The most interesting of his lovers is Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn, the sexy and ambitious siren who, pushed by her power hungry family, ultimately convinces Henry to break from the Roman Catholic church.Plenty of sex and violence in this one. The various tortures and methods of execution from this period of time are absolutely mind-boggling as some incredibly devious and sick minds could really come up with creative ways to punish and execute human beings. Some very good acting performances…Henry Clavill as Charles Brandon, Henry's loyal friend; James Frain as Thomas Cromwell; Nick Dunning as Thomas Boleyn, Anne's scheming father and Sam Neill as Cardinal Woolsey, among the many fine performers. Many characters and plot lines are introduced over a 4 year 38 episode series, some are a bit inconsequential but all in all this is a solid series. In any case if you find an episode dragging, just hang around-some will be having sex with someone soon enough. Or getting their heads chopped off.