Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

moonspinner55 Surprisingly involving and rousing adventure set in 9th century England, where the young King of Wessex leads a bloody revolt against the marauding Danes. Sprawling, handsome film given hard-hearted direction by Clive Donner, featuring exciting battlefield sequences and welcomed bits of black humor courtesy screenwriters Ken Taylor and James Webb. The well-chosen cast (including David Hemmings as Alfred, a heavily-bearded Michael York as Guthrum, and Ian McKellen as Roger) give variable performances, as Donner's film-making technique seems focused on the grand scope on the picture and not the intricate details. However, Alex Thomson's cinematography and all the technical aspects are top-notch. **1/2 from ****

lorenellroy Alfred ,King of England was a man of vital importance in the history of his nation -the first to set down a written legal code in the vernacular and a staunch defender of the realm against the incursions of the Danes ,he also can be regarded with some validity as the founder of the English navy ,throughout history the great barrier against foreign invasion .Sadly these are only touched on in this proficient but not terribly gripping late sixties movie . It opens with a Danish raid on England .Alfred is about to take holy orders but is summoned to lead the resistance ,taking over from his charming but distinctly unmilitary brother Ethelred the Unready .The strategy is successful and the Danes temporarily repulsed and Alfred is reluctantly propelled to kingship by the death of his brother . When the Danes return he is forced to buy time to regroup by paying the Danes to stay away .giving the Danish leader his estranged wife as hostage. Miltary defeat forces him into a guerilla campaign until -with the aid of an outlaw band -he is able to face the enemy in the final battle. The battle scenes are well staged conveying the reality of close quarter combat ,and there is an admirable and accurate description of the tactics used against the Danes .Some striking location photography helps a lot too. There are some fine peformances among the supporting cast -a dignified Ethelred from Alan Dobie and strong turns from stalwart character actors like Peter Vaughan ,Julian Glover and Colin Blakely while a young Ian McKenna impresses as the outlaw leader . David Hemming takes an intelligent stab at the title role but comes over as lacking in charisma and power and thus the core of the movie is somewhat hollow a fact not aided by a lightweight performance from Michael York as the Danish leader and a lacklustre performance from Prunella Ransome as Alfred's wifeIts a decent introduction to the story of an outstanding man but it could have been so much better with a more incisive script and sharper playing from the leads .

Jonathon Dabell Alfred the Great is not really a sweeping epic, nor is it a blood stained sword-wielding blockbuster. It's quite a quiet picture, with lots of talk, lots of emphasis on the lovely background landscapes, and a degree of fair amount of precision in terms of costume and weaponry.At the beginning, young Prince Alfred is moments away from turning his back on his duty as the future monarch and is preparing to become a priest. However he is persuaded to forsake these religious ambitions when a Danish invasion force start massacaring people on the coast. He leads the armies of Wessex and Mercia against the invading Danes, and in so doing he earns the first and only label ever to be proclaimed upon a king of England as "somebody the Great".Generally, the film is a bore. However, that gives the impression that it is a complete failure, which in all honesty is probably a bit unfair. Hemmings gives a notable leading performance, York is in uncommonly good form as the main Dane, and there are a couple of bloodily staged battle sequences. Alfred the Great is definitely a missed opportunity, but it remains watchable thanks to a handful of worthwhile moments.

Bruce Jones I originally saw this film at its first sneak preview when it was originally made and I still vividly recall some of it's beautiful work. I think it was much under-appreciated in it's time and was a terrific work of historical drama. I think it succeeded in conveying the period mood and atmosphere to a modern audience and I especially enjoyed the characters (even down to the names) and the attention to detail in the sets and battle scenes. It was a wonderful experience that has stuck with me.