You can not fault Branagh's enthusiasm and his successful campaign to bring the Bard to the masses.
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:40
Fresh:36
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: Kenneth Branagh's love for the material is contagious in this exuberant adaptation.
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: When gallant Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), his nefarious brother Don John (Keanu Reeves), and close confidantes Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) ride thunderously into... When gallant Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), his nefarious brother Don John (Keanu Reeves), and close confidantes Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) ride thunderously into the Sicilian village of Messina, romance, gaiety, and suspicion abound. The men have returned safely from a war, and soon everyone in the sun-drenched villa is abuzz with thoughts of love. Claudio, enamored of the purity of the nubile Hero (Kate Beckinsale), entreats Don Pedro to woo the maiden on his behalf that evening at a masked ball. Once he's managed the successful betrothal of Hero to Claudio, Don Pedro has another plot in mind: he plans to trick Hero's bantering cousin Beatrice (Emma Thompson) and sworn bachelor Benedick into acknowledging they've fallen in love. Meanwhile, the villainous Don John, driven by contempt for his compatriots, has hatched a plot of his own: to fool Claudio and Don Pedro into believing Hero is unchaste. The plot works perfectly: sensitive but volatile Claudio denounces her publicly on their wedding day. All seems lost, and soon the attempts to set things right include a formal duel, a scheming friar, a mock memorial and a gaggle of bumbling constables. With its excellent cast and beautiful Tuscan backdrop, director Kenneth Branagh's film is a light-hearted adaptation of yet another of Shakespeare's great plays. [More]
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton, Robert Sean Leonard, Kate Beckinsale, Chris Barnes
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Reviews for Much Ado About Nothing
There's much to commend in Branagh's pruned, international version of Shakespeare's troubling comedy.
Continuously enjoyable from its action-filled opening to the dazzling final shot...
Although Kenneth Branagh's interpretation does much to make Shakespeare's play comprehensible, it ultimately fails to create any kind of enduring watchability.
A lively and colorful adaptation of Shakespeare's play; Thompson and Branagh are especially fun to watch.
This film is going to entertain even those viewers who care little about Shakespeare and care about his comedies even less.
Unevenly cast but ebulliently filmed, the film is a treasure for the Branagh-Thompson scenes alone.
Wonderful rendering of Shakespeare's comedy. Branagh and Thompson shine. Wish I could say the same for Keanu.
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