Don't Believe the Hype

A Major Disappointment

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Reading Shakespeare is nothing like watching Kenneth Branagh direct Shakespeare. He interprets the Bard in a way that commands your attention and allows you to have a good time doing it. I actually first viewed the 2012 version of this movie done as a modern day retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy, and I have to say, I found this work much more satisfying. It was much grander in scale and the characters came to life in a much livelier fashion. All of the principals did a fine job in their roles, and I'll go out on a limb here by saying that I enjoyed Michael Keaton's Dogberry character the most, just because he brought so much humor and wit to the role. That's not to take away from the romantic elements at the center of the story, as the principal players all turn in marvelously impassioned performances. What I wonder about is how the actors can memorize their lines of Shakespearean dialog and deliver them with such stunning ability and competence. It seems there's not a wasted phrase or moment that doesn't add clarity to the story. This is one Shakespeare inspired film I could watch again and again.

The film represented the play quite well because of how they spoke, what they wore and how they managed to include the soliloquies, if it didn't have the soliloquies it is even harder to understand. As much as I think the actors played their roles well and I think it was done well there are moments when it is hard to understand, but it may just be how they spoke back then is a difficult 'language' to understand.

When it came to this Shakespearean story's cast, it was firstly Micheal Keaton, then Keanu Reeves, and then Kenneth Branagh (in that order) who I'd say stank to the 10th, 9th, and 8th power.As this film's story goes - Young lovers Hero and Claudio are to be wed in one week. To pass the time this supremely bored, meddlesome couple conspire with Don Padro to set a "lover's trap" for Benedick, an arrogant, confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice, his favourite sparring partner.In the meantime, the evil Don John conspires to break up Hero and Claudio's wedding by accusing Hero of infidelity.Uh.... And wasn't this film called "Much Ado About Nothing"? Yep. It sure was. And, that's exactly what it was most certainly all about... NOTHING!!

Not my favorite Shakespeare play, lacking the rich, playful complexities of some of the Bard's other comedies, I've always felt on a pure plot level this feels more simplistic, ill-logical and forced than most of the works by the greatest writer in the English language.That said, Branagh's adaptation has some sensational elements. The best of all is the relationship between Branagh and Emma Thompson (then married in real life) as Benedick and Beatrice. As they showed in their brief time together in Branagh's "Henry V" the two are both magnificent at making Shakespeare feel human, spontaneous, modern and above all fun. Both create terrific characters – two bull headed intellectual wits who obviously belong together, but who managing to use their words and wit to keep tripping themselves up, like some Shakespearian version of the best of Tracy and Hepburn. The star studded cast all do good work, although the much lesser known Richard Biers is perhaps the most wonderful in his simple, warm human reality as Leonato. The film looks great, filmed on an estate in Tuscany with beautiful grounds and that Tuscan light forming a backdrop too our story. But, in the end, the play's the thing, and much of the other character's stories. well acted as they are, feel too melodramatic and heavy handed for the fun, light feel of the film (Robert Sean Leonard and Kate Beckensale both do excellent work as Claudio and Hero, but their storyline's over-dramatic swings are hard to overcome). The score also feels over-the-top, especially in the more dramatic sections, which in turn adds to the feeling that there's something too uneven in the tone. The comedy (e.g. Michael Keaton's very weird but entertaining Dogberry), is so broad, that it's hard to put it in the same film with the over- sober tone of the story of the young lovers. None-the-less there's a lot to like if one overlooks some unevenness in both story and presentation.