BOTTOM LINE: Nothing much happens dramatically in this film about the early life of Queen Victoria despite a few sub-par political games played between the requisite players; the cast are likeable but the film is completely forgettable.

THE GOOD: The trend of making films on English monarchs continues with “The Young Victoria” and the filmmakers do a decent job of creating the period on screen and filling these images with a cast and performances that are likeable and have dimension. Emily Blunt looks the part as the young Queen Victoria who finds herself on the throne at an early age, and finding that the position contains all sorts of problems and issues, least of which that she is being pulled in all directions by those seeking to take advantage of her naiveté. Blunt does an amicable job portraying Victoria’s vulnerabilities and strength of character. Rupert Friend and Paul Bettany are likewise excellent as the sincere Prince Albert of Belgium and the more cunning Lord Melbourne who make decisive impacts on Victoria’s life. The production and costume design of this film are excellent, taking you back to Victoria’s time in image after image of wonderful detail. “The Young Victoria” is a decent recreation of the period it is depicting.

THE BAD: The film is quite bland dramatically. Although Queen Victoria faces a number of challenges to both her personal and professional lives, the way they are handled by the filmmakers gives the whole thing a ‘who cares’ feeling. The Mills-and-Boon quality of the romance does not help, although the performances do make up for this somewhat. Ultimately the film does nothing memorable, or justifies the price of watching it in the cinema because it does not take you anywhere special. Interesting, but nothing you would necessarily miss.