Much Ado About Nothing |  | Director: Kenneth Branagh
Actors: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Briers
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
Buy New: $34.55
as of 3/21/2010 04:46 EDT details
New (2) Used (1) from $34.55
Seller: sebebooks
Rating:  225 reviews
Sales Rank: 230016
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 0767802608
UPC: 043396717558
EAN: 9780767802604
ASIN: 0767802608
Theatrical Release Date: May 7, 1993
Release Date: January 20, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
Much Ado About Nothing is probably the most satisfying, and certainly the liveliest and most charming, of Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare films. The witty badinage between Branagh and his then-wife Emma Thompson, as Benedick and Beatrice, is as bright and sunny as the golden sunlight that shines on the Tuscan villa where the picture was shot. This production--and don't ask about the plot, just remember the title--is an ebullient celebration of art and artifice, culminating in a joyous dance, and performed at a brisk pace by an all-star cast, including Denzel Washington, Robert Sean Leonard, Keanu Reeves, and Michael Keaton. --Jim Emerson
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 225
 Suceeds mainly as a popularization February 28, 2010
Matthew Davidson (Houston, TX United States)
I suspect the amount of enjoyment one receives out of this film is probably inversely proportional to how well one knows the play. Visual cues and musical swells often move the plot along instead of dialog or spoken exposition, Branagh working from a text that seems to encompass about half the original material. All of this combines to create a sort of pastiche of the best bits of the play where it's difficult to really get emotionally involved. The pace of the original play, for example, curiously serves to increase suspense, rather than plod, but here Don John's scheme is no sooner hatched than it is unraveled, markedly eliminating much of the tension of the last two acts. I just don't take the threat to the main characters as seriously as I should. I am not, on principle, opposed to reduced-text, filmed versions of plays (Trevor Nunn's Twelfth Night is a good example of a radically cut text that nonetheless remains true to the source material; Branagh's own Henry V is another), but I do not think it works well here (except in a generalized, slightly saccharine sort of way).
My second criticism of the production is, to my eye, much more damning-- namely the mish-mash of accents and (especially) acting styles that works to undermine the coherence of the film. A good example of this occurs in Act I, Scene I where Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedict have a verbal exchange about Hero and the merits of marriage in general. Robert Sean Leonard speaks in a faux-British accent, Denzel Washington in a distinctly American one, and Branagh himself with the sort of elocution only to be found on the British stage. Robert Sean Leonard and Denzel Washington are clearly playing the character (with seemingly little awareness of the language itself) while Branagh obviously relishes each line, making a variety of choices in inflection and pace that betrays not only his stage background and formal training, but his obvious awareness of what the language of the text can do for an actor. It feels a bit like as if John Gielgud were playing the part of Brutus in a high school production of Julius Caesar: it sticks out that much.
In general, it's obvious which actors know Shakespeare and which ones don't, and often it seems like the players might as well be appearing in different films. The most extreme example of this is the unsuccessful casting/performances of Keanu Reeves and Michael Keaton, a complete non-performance in the former and a grotesque, over-the-top caricature in the latter. They are both completely out of their depth.
All of this is not to suggest there are not good things about the film. Branagh and Thompson are both wonderful; the locations are gorgeous; and the tone of the original play is often successfully re-created through the use of visuals and music. On the whole, though, I would offer only a marginal recommendation to those who care about the play, though I can imagine it being viewed with a much more sympathetic eye by audiences who see the text as an obstacle, rather than the primary virtue. In this sense, it is a successful popularization.
 interesting... November 19, 2009
Reviewer Mary (Boston, MA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
this was a very good humorus film i would watch over and over again, if it didn't have a few objectionable parts..
Wonderful Film September 8, 2009
Sharon Preiss (Phoenix, Az, USA)
Kenneth Branagh makes Shakespeare fun. The cast in this rendition of 'Much Ado About Nothing' is superb. From quirky to funny, angry to happy, each character has their part to play and each does it magnificently. Even Michael Keaton's small part was very memorable and hilarious for the short time he was on screen. I would highly recommend this film to anyone looking to enjoy a Shakespearean drama, or anyone just looking to watch a wonderful film.
 Much to say about nothing... June 19, 2009
Andrew Ellington (Mulholland Drive)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Very Shakespeare meets Jane Austen meets...`Mama Mia', `Much Ado About Nothing' is in the very least an interesting feat. It has elements that work and elements that don't, and while certain parts (or at least one part) of this film are spellbinding, as a whole I don't really feel I can agree with the consensus (who seem to really, really love this movie).
The film is a hodgepodge of matchmaking, lover's quarrels and deceitful jealousies, and while Shakespearian legend Kenneth Branagh tries to give the film enough sparkle and enough darkness he fails to really give the film a solid flow. Add to this the fact that barely any of the actors are suitable for their parts (which in some areas is rather shocking) and you have a film that fails to live up to the hype for me. I will admit that I am not the hugest follower of this type of film, so many of you may feel that has hindered me in my approach to rating this film, but I must say that I was genuinely excited for and longing to see this and that I have enjoyed very much other films of this sort.
This one is just missing so much.
The few who have actually given this a negative review have balked at the plot, which I think is one of the few things that cannot be balked at. I actually found the story being told to be an interesting and amiable one. Young Claudio is in love with Leonato's daughter Hero and so Don Pedro takes it upon himself to get the two acquainted while struggling to draw out feuding Beatrice and Benedick's true feelings for one another. Don John own evil jealousies have caused him to seek ruination of Claudio's love at any means necessary. It's actually quite absorbing.
But alas, the temperamental shifts in the film don't sit well with me. The handling of the flighty quirkiness of the characters and the dastardly subplot involving Don John are uneven to me, and the random musical numbers come off rather unnecessary to me.
And then there is the acting.
I will say this first; Emma Thompson is utterly brilliant here and deserved an Oscar, and Kenneth Branagh is, unsurprisingly, right at home and very, very good. Sadly, they are the only saving graces here. Denzel Washington seems so uncomfortable here and actually comes off like a young child in an adult production. Michael Keaton does nothing but his Beetlejuice shtick, and he does it poorly. Keanu Reeves is, in my opinion, the worst actor working today or maybe even ever, and his Razzie nomination for this very film is not unjustified. The forgettable Robert Sean Leonard (I mean, really, can you remember his performance in any of his movies? He's always outshone by everyone else) is once again, forgettable (and very amateurish) and the beautiful Kate Beckinsale is nothing but pure eye candy with no real talent to back it up. Like I said, some of this is shocking (ok, Washington is the only one that is really shocking) but that's how the cards fell.
I'll take a minute to just bask in the glory of Emma Thompson though, since she is an utter delight. This is one of those rare occasions when a performance is leagues better than the film that owns it. She completely captures the free spirited wit of this young woman with the perfect mixture of sarcasm and determination. She is a woman in love yet she is stubborn in her own ideals. She is tender yet not weak and she is her own woman, complete with a fiery life growing within her. All of this boisterous nature and yet her most compelling and startling scene comes when she bares her darkest emotions (that whole "kill Claudio" scene is FLAWLESS). She knows how to make this character work in her entirety, even if the film attempts the same and comes off uneven.
So, see it for Thompson, because it is one of the best supporting performances of the 90's, but know in advance that there are far better films of this nature to be seen.
 Really delightful! June 11, 2009
Mz Susan (Tampa Florida)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a mostly light-hearted romp. Boy meets girl, boy looses girl and finally boy gets girl back. The story is timeless, The whole cast was amazing. Recommend it highly.
There is a reason why Master Shakespeare endures - he speaks to everyone.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 225
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