AniInterview
Sorry, this movie sucks
Bergorks
If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
Bob
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
cheshire551225800
I think this is one of the weakest of the Kenneth Branagh Shakespearian works. After such great efforts as Much Ado About Nothing, etc. I thought this was poor. The cast was weaker (Alicia Silverstone, Nivoli, McElhone???) but my biggest gripe was that they messed with the Bard's work and cut out some of the play to put in the musical/dance sequences.You just don't do Shakespeare and then mess with the play. Sorry, but that is just wrong. I love some Cole Porter just like the next person, but jeez, don't mess with the Shakespeare. Skip this and watch "Prospero's Books" if you want to see a brilliant Shakespearean adaptation of the Tempest.
madbeast
Kenneth Branagh attempts to turn William Shakspeare's obscure, rarely-produced comedy into a 1930s-era musical, with the result being both bad Shakespeare and bad musical comedy as the actors are rarely adept at one or the other of the two styles and in some cases flounder badly in both. Particularly painful is Nathan Lane, who seems to be under the impression that he is absolutely hysterical as Costard but is badly mistaken, and Alicia Silverstone who handles the Shakespearean language with all the authority of a teenaged Valley Girl who is reading the script aloud in her middle school English class.The musical numbers are staged with the expertise of a high school production of "Dames at Sea," leaving the cast looking awkward and amateurish while singing and dancing, with the lone exception being Adrian Lester who proves himself a splendid song and dance man. The only other saving grace of the film are Natascha McElhone and Emily Mortimer's contribution as eye candy, but they have given far better performances than in this film and you'd be wise to check out some of the other titles in their filmographies and gives this witless mess a pass.
Jackson Booth-Millard
From actor/director Kenneth Branagh comes another William Shakespeare tale, just four years after his four hour version of Hamlet. The story is an update based in the 30s/40s where the King of Navarre (Jurassic Park III's Alessandro Nivola) and three companions, Longaville (a miscast Scream's Matthew Lillard), Dumaine (Adrian Lester) and Berowne (Branagh) swear an oath to stay away (and obviously not fall in love) with women for three years. Unfortunately this plan fails when they are immediately acquainted with The Princess of France (also miscast Alicia Silverstone) and her three chums, Rosaline (The Truman Show's Natascha McElhone), Maria (Carmen Ejogo) and Jacquanetta (Stefania Rocca). They form close friendships and almost bonds, and they have other people to talk to about their concerns, including an all-star cast: Emily Mortimer as Katherine, Richard Briers as Nathaniel, Nathan Lane as Costard and Timothy Spall as Don Armado. With some fantastic actors and memorable songs mixed in, this is a great almost modern adaption to a Shakespeare tale. Kenneth Branagh was number 25 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, and he was number 6 on Britain's Finest Actors. Good!
glynyfaron
...but the film really doesn't work. It might be argued that trying to marry one of Shakespeare's weakest plays (a nonsense plot full of puns that no longer and apparent absence of an ending) with Golden Age musicals necessitates actor who can not only sing and dance but also recite Shakespeare. Branagh himself fairs best here but some of the performances are dreadful. Alicia Silverstone squeals every line as if experiencing a sugar rush and seems to have no understanding of the meaning of the words while Matthew Lillard flounders around hopping weak physical comedy will cover his lack of acting talent. The dancing and choreography is perfunctory at best, the seemingly effortless quality of the musicals of that era came from years of training and can not be replicated by sheer enthusiasm alone. It is always a delight to hear Branagh bring the Bard's word to life but this really didn't work. Commendation also to Richard Clifford's Boyet, he caught the warmth and subtlety of the character tempered by a sadness that he himself seems to be alone. He shone while everyone else senseless mugged into the lens.
