Brian Blessed Movies

As one in a series of documentary releases to systematically review the history of global warfare, event by event, this program travels back in time to the mythical Dark Ages - the period sandwiched in between the Fall of Rome and the Medieval Renaissance. It was during this era, as the program reminds us, that the coastal residents of Britain began to spot Viking longships dotting the ocean skyline - longships that brought barbaric Norse raiders to the mainland, and thus became indicators of death, destruction, misery and terror. The program travels beyond the frequently-mythologized images of these raiders to examine their approaches to battle; in so doing, it makes frequent use of maps, computerized graphics, recreations of battle scenes, and scenes of actors playing eyewitnesses, filmed against the backdrop of Lindesfarne. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

As one installment in a series of ambitious documentary release canvassing the history of global warfare, this outing hearkens back to the fateful year of 55 A.D., when legendary Roman emperor Julius Caesar set his mind and his heart on seizing control of Britain. Unsurprisingly, the Romans encountered little resistance, but their movements spelled the end of a period of prosperity for the British Isles, whose Celtic tribal inhabitants fell prey to the massive thrust and force of the Roman war apparatus. This program systematically reviews those events, making full and frequent use of pseudo-eyewitness accounts (using actors), dramatically reconstructed scenes and sophisticated CG graphics. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

This historical documentary takes a look at the series of dynastic civil wars known as the War of the Roses, which eventually determined the course of history for the British Isles, placing the Tudor family on the throne, making way for such legendary monarchs as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

A farm pup that longs for the day she will become a genuine sheepdog attempts to prove herself to her demanding master while contending with some particularly troublesome rams in this family friendly tale from director Richard Overall. Mist was born one of three tiny pups on the serine grounds of Borough Farm. From the moment she was born Mist longed for the day she could help her master round up the sheep, but as her training gets underway it seems that this ambitious pup can't do anything right; every time Mist tries to impress her master, she is scolded and punished. Now, before Mist earns her prized spot amidst the sheepdogs at Borough Farm, she will first have to learn to contend with the curmudgeonly rams and understand why her auntie doesn't always seem to have her best interests at heart. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

U.K. director Chris Munro's wicked satirical comedy Back in Business dissects and excoriates the slimy underbelly of British capitalism with a look at several high-rolling English con artists and the brouhaha surrounding their latest national scam. Joanna Taylor (Post Impact) and screen legend Brian Blessed (I Claudius) play, respectively, press officer Fiona Arlington Spencer and press chief Trevor Pilkington. As the byzantine story opens, the duo leaks to the public news of Britain's latest contribution to the space race: 'The Explorer,' an interstellar vehicle allegedly capable of mining an energy-rich substance on a foreign planet, that could thus save the Earth's energy crisis once and for all. In reality, the two "entrepreneurs" share the morals of an alley cat and a desire to shake down as many venture capitalists as they can find, illustrated by their previous success: conning a series of international businessmen into buying shares of British national landmarks, as a means of rescuing the Brit economy. And in reality, the 'Explorer' doesn't even exist - it represents only the latest in an endless series of paper-thin manipulative schemes. To help pull this one off, Fiona and Trevor reel in a number of accomplices: Fiona's uncle, Lord William Arlington Spencer (Martin Kemp); techie and computer hacker Travis Marks (Stefan Booth), the son of William's Cambridge buddy Thomas Marks (Chris Barrie, and then Thomas himself. They plan to use the "invention" to wheedle billions out from under the noses of the Chinese - but fail to anticipate the interference of a nosy policeman (Dennis Waterman) or of an irate group of Russian mobsters, who - upon smelling a rat - demand to see the Explorer with their own eyes. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

In 1977, George Lucas released Star Wars, the ultimate sci-fi popcorn flick-turned-pop-culture myth machine. It quickly became the biggest money-making film of all time and changed the shape of the film industry. After two successful sequels (1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Return of the Jedi) that extended the story of the first film, Lucas took some time off to produce movies for others, with mixed success. In 1999, Lucas returned to the Star Wars saga with a new approach -- instead of picking up where Return of the Jedi left off, Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace would be the first of a trilogy of stories to trace what happened in the intergalactic saga before the first film began. Here, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is a young apprentice Jedi knight under the tutelage of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson); Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who will later father Luke Skywalker and become known as Darth Vader, is just a nine-year-old boy. When the Trade Federation cuts off all routes to the planet Naboo, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are assigned to settle the matter, but when they arrive on Naboo they are brought to Amidala (Natalie Portman), the Naboo queen, by a friendly but opportunistic Gungan named Jar Jar. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan plan to escort Amidala to a meeting of Republic leaders in Coruscant, but trouble with their spacecraft strands them on the planet Tatooine, where Qui-Gon meets Anakin, the slave of a scrap dealer. Qui-Gon is soon convinced that the boy could be the leader the Jedis have been searching for, and he begins bargaining for his freedom and teaching the boy the lessons of the Force. The supporting cast includes Pernilla August as Anakin's mother, Terence Stamp as Chancellor Valorum, and Samuel L. Jackson as Jedi master Mace Windu. Jackson told a reporter before The Phantom Menace's release that the best part about doing the film was that he got to say "May the Force be with you" onscreen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Author Edgar Rice Burroughs once suggested that animation would be the ideal medium to bring his Tarzan to the screen, and 81 years after the first film about the famous ape-man, Disney brings us the first full-length animated film starring the King of the Jungle. After a disaster at sea causes their ship to sink off the coast of Africa, a British couple finds their way to shore with their infant son in tow. However, the parents are killed by a leopard, leaving the baby to fend for himself. The child is discovered by a gorilla named Kala (voice of Glenn Close), mate of Kerchak (voice of Lance Henriksen), the leader of the tribe of apes. While Kerchak is taken aback by the foundling and would just as soon leave him in the jungle, Kala's maternal nature is stirred. Kala and Kerchak take the baby with them, naming him Tarzan and raising him among their own. Although Tarzan (voice of Tony Goldwyn) grows up painfully aware that he's different from the apes, he comes to love and respect the gorillas and learns their ways, while they accept him into their tribe as he grows to adulthood. However, Tarzan's idyllic life in the jungle is changed forever by the arrival of Professor Porter (voice of Nigel Hawthorne), his daughter Jane (voice of Minnie Driver), and their guide, a hunter named Clayton (voice of Brian Blessed). The Professor and Jane have arrived in Africa to study the wildlife in its natural habitat, although Clayton would prefer to bag as many trophies as he can. When the explorers encounter Tarzan, they at first think they've discovered the missing link, although soon realize that he's as human as they are. Tarzan finds himself torn between his desire to be with his own kind (and the new, unfamiliar emotions that he feels for Jane) and his loyalties to the gorilla family that raised him -- especially since Clayton sees the apes not as friends but as prey. Dominated by fast-paced jungle action sequences, Tarzan also features voices by Rosie O'Donnell and Wayne Knight, as well as new songs by Phil Collins. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this TV miniseries based on the 1749 Henry Fielding novel, kindly Squire Allworthy (Benjamin Whitrow) adopts an infant boy left at his home after unmarried Jenny Jones (Camille Coduri) is paid by the real mother to admit that the child is hers. Having lost his own children in infancy, then his wife, Allworthy pours all his love on the little chap, names him Tom after himself and Jones after his supposed mother, and raises him on his vast estate in Somersetshire in Western England. By this time, Jenny Jones has left for another part of England without disclosing the name of the real mother, Allworthy's own sister, Bridget, who lives with the squire. Meanwhile, Bridget (Tessa Peake-Jones) marries money-hungry Captain Blifil (Con O'Neill), who dies of a stroke after Bridget gives birth to a child, William. William and Tom grow up together. A nasty wretch, William (James D'Arcy) despises Tom (Max Beesley) and constantly plots against him. Although Tom is good-hearted, he has a mischievous streak. However, whenever he gets into trouble, it is usually to help others. As young men, Tom and William vie for the affections of beautiful Sophia Western (Samantha Morton), daughter of wealthy landowner Squire Western (Brian Blessed). Although she loves Tom, her father wants her to marry Allworthy's nephew, Blifil, to unite the Western and Allworthy estates. After Tom has a fling with a gamekeeper's daughter, Molly Seagrim (Rachel Scorgie), she becomes pregnant and Tom dutifully accepts responsibility for fathering the child. Later, though, he discovers that Molly has had many lovers. But it's too late. Tom's misadventures -- as well as Blifel's machinations against him -- convince Squire Allworthy to disinherit him and cast him out. Tom strikes out for the seacoast. Sophia later follows him. While encountering many adventures during his travels, Tom learns the truth about himself from a schoolteacher who had employed Jenny Jones as a servant. Eventually, Sophia goes to London, and all of the principal characters -- learning of her presence there -- also end up there. The climax reveals the ultimate fate of Tom and Sophia and the heir of the Allworthy estate. ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi

This four-part British miniseries was based on the second of the three Johnny Maxwell books by children's author Terry Pratchett (who also wrote the teleplay). This time around, young Johnny (Andrew Falvey) came to the rescue of several restless ghosts. This required the hero to prevent a local cemetery from being plowed over by the usual evil land developers. More whimsical than weird, Johnny and the Dead originally aired from April 4 to 25, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This British historical drama chronicles the failed Jacobite rebellion in Scotland which ended with a bloody battle at Culloden in the 18th century. The Jacobites were a pro-Catholic group who followed King James II. Thirty years after their first battle in which they were routed, the Jacobites rallied around Bonnie Prince Charlie as he attempted to reclaim the English throne. Charlie and the Jacobites made their stand on Culloden Moor, near Inverness in 1746. Because the promised French troops never arrived, they were slaughtered by the English red-coats. The film presents the stories of people involved in both sides of the conflict. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this telemovie spinoff of the popular series MacGyver, the titular hero (Richard Dean Anderson) - an astonishingly resourceful scientist ere-equipped with his trusty Swiss Army Knife - embarks on an Indiana Jones-style quest to find the lost treasure of Atlantis. Brian Blessed, Sophie Ward and Christian Burgess co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

A steamer trunk full of the voices of British acting greats (Ben Kingsley, Billie Whitelaw, Michael Hordern, Brian Blessed, and Jonathan Pryce) enliven this absurd pop-cartoon parody of the James Bond films. In a prologue taking place in a faraway time, a widowed magician-king (voice of Michael Hordern) and his son, Prince Freddie (voice of Ben Kingsley) live in their lonely castle. Freddie's mean aunt Messina (voice of Billie Whitelaw), dead-set against Freddie becoming king, kills his father and transforms Freddie into a frog. Freddie escapes the wrath of Messina by jumping into the sea. Several hundred years later, Freddie is now living in modern day Paris -- a six-foot-tall amphibian with the moniker Secret Agent F.R.O.7. Messina, too, is still around causing mischief, joining forces with an arch-villain named El Supremo (voice of Brian Blessed) in a scheme to shrink Big Ben. Freddie, alerted to Messina's nefarious plans, gathers his fellow agents Daffers (voice of Jenny Agutter) and Scottie (voice of John Sessions) together, planning to hide out in Big Ben and surprise the evil doers when they are set to strike at the much-loved British landmark. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Another of writer/director Ken Russell's D.H. Lawrence adaptations, Lady Chatterley (an amalgam of three Lawrence novels) was first shown as a British TV miniseries on BBC1 from June 6 to 27, 1993. In recounting the familiar details of young, bored Lady Chatterley (Joely Richardson), her elderly, infirm husband (James Wilby), and her hot-blooded stable-groom lover, Manners (Sean Bean), Russell took the opportunity to both celebrate and savage the British upper classes of the 1920s. One brief sequence of full frontal nudity caused a minor scandal in Britain, though by Ken Russell standards the scene was a model of taste and decorum. After its initial TV run, Lady Chatterley was edited down from 220 to 110 minutes and released theatrically in the United States. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi