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The first time most moviegoers got a look at the now ubiquitous and Oscar-winning Cate Blanchett she was looking unglamorous and plain in Elizabeth as a young woman of noble birth but little ambition. No plans had she to wear a crown. The young actress sported long reddish blonde hair and wore little makeup. Though her face was compelling Blanchett’s star charisma was far from fully formed but then neither was Elizabeth’s identity set. This casting decision made for an exemplary and electric match. Star-making breakthroughs are rare (else every actor would be on the A list) but here’s the most dependable formula: pair a quality actor with a challenging role that both fits like a glove and reflects like a mirror. It’s magical... especially the first time.

The rest is history. Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth was nominated for an Oscar and the young actress soared from relatively unknown to must have Hollywood star --26 films in the past ten years bear the truth of that. Which brings us to Elizabeth and Cate reunited in Elizabeth the Golden Age, both several years into their mythmaking runs as queen and star respectively: this glove still fits, the mirror yet reflects. But is the reunion flattering to either woman?

The short answer is no but the movie tries desperately to answer that question with a resounding YES! It has virtually nothing on its mind but the mythologizing and worshipping of Her. Like some deranged despotic royal itself, Elizabeth the Golden Age will have you genuflecting to Her or it’ll see you at the gallows. In fact, one of the movies best recurring jokes (yes, there is comedy. More on that in a minute) involves a young Spanish royal who is by familial decree anti-Elizabeth, but even she can’t help but carry around an idol of the Virgin Queen/Oscar Winning Actress.

Other elements do fight for space with Elizabeth/Cate in this shameless hagiography but they mostly result in unintentional giggles: The crowded historical plot involves a huge religious war which is miniaturized by ridiculous sea battles filled with limited budget cutaway shots of dead bodies, explosions, and CGI embellishments; The double crossings, dangerous alliances and romantic subplots are all mixed in to the basic narrative but they play like a nighttime spot –Dynasty for the 16th century; A loud score competes for attention with other “look at me!” production elements and often wins. One sequence in particular, a monologue from Clive Owen in which he is all but seducing the Queen with his speech-making makes sure you notice the costumes and set design and actors but the underscored is so emphatic, stopping and starting again with every intake of Clive's breath or scene interruptions that the natural amusement of the scene turns to hilarious comedy; Multiple Oscar nominees emote emphatically on the sidelines hoping to gain audience favor or at least a good close-up when Elizabeth/Cate is off screen. None of them get much of a foothold. This woman, warrior, queen will rule them all.

Director Shekhar Kapur fought for years to get this sequel to his breakthrough film made. Perhaps it fermented in his head on its long trip to production and through the projector but The Golden Age is a grotesquerie, a graceless thing. Every scene is played at the same fever pitch. From the opening scene to the actual climax, it’s 114 minutes of climaxes --never mind those pesky storytelling skills like pacing, momentum building or nuance. The result is a movie that’s as elaborate, as silly, as attention seeking as one of the Queen’s feathery headdresses.

Elizabeth the Golden Age really only works as a showcase for one acclaimed actress to wow the audience. And wow she does. Cate is an expert technician and she can do all the big emotions, underlining them with eerie precision and speed. She even has a few entertaining moments where you realize that she’s pushing the comedy aware that the movie is veering there anyway (maybe she can make it look intentional?) But the movies conception of Queen Elizabeth is limited: she is only a vehicle for her own myth. On the rare occasions when Kapur tries for something more personal, a portrait of the woman rather than the queen, the movie gets worse. Elizabeth in these sequences becomes a stereotypically sexist Movie Woman –all petty jealousies and moody behavior erupting uncontrollably.

Despite her consummate skill as an actress, The Golden Age has an equally limited conception of Cate Blanchett. Shekhar Kapur is less guide than worshipful subject. His camera, costuming, and blocking direction are all attempts to further enshrine her as one of the greats, never once challenging her beyond ‘hit this next emotional mark’. You can almost hear the goal setting from the Queen/Star to herself “Maintain your grand monarchy/Great Actress status” Given the fashion parade on view in The Golden Age one can’t say that this particular Empress has no clothes. She’s got rooms full of them. It’s her soul that’s gone missing in this bombastic unnecessary sequel.