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Movies / On DVD / Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing

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Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

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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

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Much Ado About Nothing

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21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

No review available.

comment Comment
02/12/03
Shannon J. Harvey
Shannon J. Harvey
Sunday Times (Australia)

No review available.

comment Comment
01/24/03
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A fun adaptation of Shakespeare that only suffers from some unfortunate casting, especially with Keaton and Keanu.

comment Comment
11/11/02
Widgett Walls
Widgett Walls
Needcoffee.com

Both perfectly classic and remarkably fresh.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix

No review available.

comment Comment
10/17/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

All-star laughs, romance and hijinks!

comment Comment
09/17/02
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

Branagh once again proves he can out-Shakespeare even the Bard himself.

comment Comment
09/03/02
Chuck Rudolph
Chuck Rudolph
Matinee Magazine

Inventively celebrates the sense of heightened vitality which is at the core of all Shakespeare's comedies.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
08/20/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

No review available.

comment Comment
08/05/02
Staci Layne Wilson
Staci Layne Wilson
Fantastica Daily

One longs for genuine bursts of cinematic poetry instead of all the overemphatic gusto.

Full Review Source: Movieline | comment Comment
01/09/02
Stephen Farber
Stephen Farber
Movieline

The picture is overripe, and with few exceptions, so are the performances.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
05/12/01
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

The good news is that the audience will have just as much fun as the players with this one.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

A lusty, vigorous, sun-drenched romp in which two parallel love affairs intertwine with comedic and dramatic results.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
David N. Butterworth
David N. Butterworth
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Director Branagh, who altered the play imaginatively for the screen, gives wonderful import to this silliness from long ago.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post

Somehow, the movie feels insubstantial and uninspired.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Hal Hinson
Hal Hinson
Washington Post

This film cements Branagh's status as a great director of Shakespeare, and perhaps of film in general, as well.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

The pace is fast and Shakespeare pleases much.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Kenneth Branagh's return to Shakespeare captures the Bard's captivating comic romance at the peak of flavor.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Robert Faires
Robert Faires
Austin Chronicle

The key to the film's success is in the acting, especially in the sparks that fly between Branagh and Thompson.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The movie is uneven, but the range is from good to outstanding.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2
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