Black Adder II | 
| Actor: Rowan Atkinson
Studio: BBC Warner
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $12.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 12191
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 200
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: WARDE1560D
ISBN: 079076024X
UPC: 794051156020
EAN: 9780790760247
ASIN: B00005A1SU
Release Date: June 26, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping
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Product Description
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/13/2005 Run time: 177 minutes Rating: Nr
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| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
 It's so cunning you can brush your teeth with it November 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Against all odds and certain laws of evolution, apparently the primary characters of "Black Adder I" managed to reproduce.
Amazingly, this is fortunate for us, because it turns out that "Black Adder II" is hilariously superior to the previous season in just about every way possible. Rowan Atkinson is pitch-perfect as the acid-tongued Lord Edmund Blackadder, who is forced to navigate a surreal Elizabethan court full of bizarre characters and hysterical dialogue.
After (temporarily) firing Baldrick (Tony Robinson), Blackadder (Atkinson) hires a new manservant, Bob -- who is actually a girl named Kate, who is trying to escape a life of prostitution ("It's a steady job, and you'd be working from home!") by pretending to be a boy.
But predictably, Blackadder soon finds himself sexually attracted to "Bob," which unnerves him greatly. After visiting a leech-obsessed doctor and a crazy wise woman, Blackadder finds out the truth about his "manservant" and decides to marry her. But of course, the course of love never did run smooth -- especially not for a Blackadder.
Things don't get much better for Blackadder after that -- insane Queen Bess (Miranda Richardson) appoints him Lord High Executioner, and he tries to make the process more efficient. After sneering at Sir Walter "Ooh What A Big Ship I've Got" Raleigh, he ends up on a round-the-world voyage to find something as interesting as a potato and bring it back to the Queen. And due to an old loan, he finds himself on the bad side of the "baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells."
Additionally, the Queen commands him to throw a beer-soaked debauch on the same evening that his wealthy Puritan relatives are visiting. And after Blackadder and his nemesis Melchett (Stephen Fry) are kidnapped by a charades-playing inquisitor, they find themselves at the mercy of the waitress/sheep impersonator, Prince Ludwig the Indestructible!
Somehow the first season of "Black Adder" never really impressed me, since most of its humor came from the superhuman repulsiveness of its title character. Fortunately they added a new writer in the second season, and suddenly everything about the series clicked into place -- the writing, insults and historical mayhem all suddenly went from funny to sidesplitting.
Much of this comes from the incredibly surreal plots: usually it's Edmund in over his head and surrounded by people he deplores and/or fears, in a situation that spins out of control. Deranged sea captains who can't find France, rubber breasts, a bombastic self-absorbed adventurer, turnips shaped like naughty bits, and an inconvenient severed head all come into play, making life MUCH more difficult for Edmund.
But the real genius is the dialogue, which ranges from mildly insulting ("Am I paying for this abuse, or is it extra?" "All part of the service") to hilariously barbed ("My name is Edmund Blackadder, and I'm the new minister in charge of religious genocide"). There's a lot of raunchy jokes, irreverent mockery of revered English monarchs, and fun moments where they poke fun at the Elizabethan era ("It wouldn't have anything to do with LEECHES, would it?").
Rowan Atkinson is the heart of all this jaded, nasty hilarity. He does a simply brilliant job as the one semi-intelligent person in a court of nincompoops, who deals with it by having thinly-veiled contempt for everybody and a tongue woven from barbed wire. Robinson is suitably gross and not-very-bright as his faithful servant Baldrick.
Supporting them: Richardson is brilliant as a squealy, childish Elizabeth I ("There's simply HUNDREDS of Catholics who DESPERATELY want their heads SNICKED off.... and there's no one to organize it!"), while Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Miriam Margoyles add to the surreal wit. And watch for Tom Baker as the deranged sea captain who's obviously not had a girlfriend recently.
"Black Adder II" magnifies everything that was enjoyable about the first "Black Adder" season and shucks away everything that wasn't. Comic brilliance.
Rowan Atkinson at his best! September 29, 2008
The BlACK ADDER series is a true gem if you enjoy sarcastic and irreverant humor, particularly the British style. There are many Black Adder series, each with six episodes, and I particularly like II and III. Although Rowan Atkinson is primarily known for the "Mr. Bean" comedies, he's much funnier in "The Black Adder" series where he blends physical humor with dry verbal hilarity to an almost perfect match. His side-kicks are very good too, with the now famous Hugh Laurie of "House" prominently featured. Treat yourself to this one!
A reboot for the dynasty September 9, 2008
If you have only seen season 1 and written this series off, please know it gets better. Treat yourself to the exploits of the Elizabethan Edmond, who reads more like a cross between William Shakespeare and J.R. Ewing. Articulate and scheming, this is an Edmond Blackadder to keep your eye on.
Miranda Richardson ("Rita Skeeter" to all you young'ns) is deliciously ditzy and the utter definition of a princess-cum-matriarch.
Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie join the cast and what a blessing it is! Fry's Melchett is a comedy archetype played to perfection.
Baldrick and Percy return, though in slightly more useful incarnations. (Well, practically worthless to Edmond, but useful for writing comedy moments. Look for this line: "Some beans.")
Doctor Who fans of the original series will be pleased to see Tom Baker in one episode as a legless sea captain ... and he hasn't touched a drop! (Jokes about drinking your own urine may not seem like they would be funny, but somehow they are.)
There is no better comedy August 24, 2008
What else can you say about one of the funniest comedy series to come from the BBC. The whole series are superb. There is no equal to Rowan Atkinson.
Hey Nonny Nonny! June 21, 2008
My second favorite BBC show after "Red Dwarf". If you've only seen Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean, then by all means, watch this show! For beginners, skip Series One and start on Series Two. The best of all is Series Four but it's funnier if you know all the characters so get Series Two. Today. Now.
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