The Hollow Crown Henry VI Part 2 (2012– ) watch online HD

If your measure of a Shakespearean production is its fidelity to the text, then this will disappointment. But this film *adaptation* is a brilliant streamlining of Shakespeare's massive and overlong trilogy. Tom Sturridge and Sophie Okonedo, in particular, bring great insight and power to their roles. A wonderful interpretation of a rarely produced play.

Although it's quite ridiculous to rate it a "1", I have to say I largely agree with the previous reviewer. The spirit of Shakespeare's poetry and beauty is completely absent in this sliced-up and cut-down version, which seems to have had no other ambition than to appeal to Game of Thrones fans. The producers are clearly all big fans of graphic throat-cutting, almost to the point of fetishization. There are good scenes here and there, but by the standard that a good adaptation should be a good representation of Shakespeare's story and poetry, this version falls almost as short as it possibly can. There is little love of Shakespeare on display here. This is one of the worst Shakespeare adaptations ever made (and this comes from someone who collects them, and owns virtually every adaptation of a Shakespeare play ever released on disk), despite some of the actors being good (the guy who plays Henry VI, for one). I habitually re-watch my Shakespeare DVDs, but this is one I don't anticipate ever having any desire to see again.

What can I say...

Really wanted to like it so much and had one of the biggest scares of my life. I didn't watch Part I of Henry VI.

But Part 2 is hideously violent. OK, it was meant to be violent, it is the War of the Roses. But the violence totally supplanted the poetry.

Everything was cut. Heads, limbs, throats, and worse of all the poetry, the attachment to any character...

Only Queen Margaret was left pleading for less mediocrity on her Lancastrian side and obviously Richard Gloucester, who was the only one who spoke anything interesting and seemed to have a plan.

Result: I couldn't give a damn for the lives of anyone in the play and am really on Gloucester's side when the next episode (Richard III) comes out next week. Which is the first time this happens for me, Richard is meant to be an astute dictator whom we love to hate. But I was never on his side!

Well I hate everyone on Henry VI part2, but Gloucester is clever and I'm rooting for him to do with all the imbeciles he encounters in his own play.

At least he will be able to speak poetry.

Pity he won't live to get rid of Henry VIII!

If the BBC is trying to make Shakespeare without including poetry in it, then they should add a warning for Richard III, because in this play it is everywhere:

Attention: This work may contain traces of poetry!

Declaration: I detest be-headings!!!!! And tribal imbecility!!!! Which was what I saw in Henry VI Part 2!!!