8 out of 8 people found the following review helpful:

WHY?

A Customer from London, 15th May, 2008

i THOUGHT IT A SHAME THAT THIS WELL CONCIEVED PIECE - THE JAPANESE SETTING WORKS WELL IN THE BEGINNING - WAS SPOILED BY IT BEING SHOT MOSTLY IN A NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTY COMPLETE WITH WELL MAINTAINED PATHS AND LITTLE FENCES ROUND PONDS AND LOTS OF BLUEBELLS! IT LOOKED LIKE A VERY LOW BUDGET STUDENT FILM AT THAT POINT AND i LOST QUITE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF MY SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF. sOME GOOD ACTING THOUGH.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Shakepeare san shot as Shogun in Shepperton

Charles Brickley from Andover, Hampshire England, 10th October, 2008

Another wonderful Kenneth Branagh interpretation of one of the Bard's works in a dazzling setting with beautiful production values and colour co-ordination. One could argue the relevance of the Japanese setting for this comedy of inter-family rivalry being overcome by true love. One could point out the detail of footpaths in the forest or a pantomime style of the sets in a 'Robin Hood' backdrop. But to quote the Bard himself, 'The play's the thing' and this was a succinct and well acted play by a team that have an international gold standard with this type of production. Well worth the money if only for the production standard and if you watch it enough times you can understand the plot too.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Weak

NorleySteve from , 21st July, 2008

Very strong acting but another missed opportunity. The Japanese setting was unessassary and just odd at times. Instead of focusing on a core plotline the film constantly jumped out to random soliloquies. These might be an important part of the play when performed on stage but didn't work for me on the screen. This should have been stripped down to it's simplest form and left to let the acting tallent shine. Worth watching for the cast but this is no 'Much Ado'.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Why Brannagh? Why?

A Customer from Manchester, 25th January, 2009

I really don't get why Brannagh is so feted with Shakespeare.. maybe in a theatre he can get away with it but in film he seems (in my opinion), to murder every piece he touches. This is a play for the shakespeare lovers, a philosophical comedy and not one of my favourites even though I have performed in it myself. However, the comedy is totally lost, every actor seeming to have been directed to underperform and underplay, even, to a certain extent, Touchstone the court fool played by Alfred Molina. The Japanese setting was unnecessary and ridiculous when alluded to, Rosalind neither looked nor acted like a man when required making the entire love plot unbelievable and the only reason Bryce Dallas Howard got nominated for anything is the whole patronizing 'american doing Shakespeare' thing. In that regard, Kevin Kline was a highlight as Jaques, not the best I have ever seen but he lit up an otherwise dull, dull, dull and cut to shreds film. Brannagh seems to casually change some important scenes. Personally I believe this particular play should have been left on the stage and should certainly NEVER be shown to try and convert non shakespeare lovers. Watch Baz Luhrman's (admittedly cut to shreds but wonderfully conceived and acted) Romeo and Juliet instead.

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Not for me

Arsenalfootyfan from , 26th July, 2009

I quite like Shakespeare, but just couldn't get my head round thiscadaptation.Not a film for non shakespeare lovers.

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As you like it

toddyquaker from , 29th April, 2009

Quite enjoyable and good to see an updated version.

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As You Like It

A Customer from Rugby, 24th April, 2009

Intriguing version of the play set in Japan, but lagely acted by English classic actors! Well done though it might have been more interesting to have used some Japenese actors?

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Colourful but not for me

A Customer from Coventry, 2nd February, 2009

I loved Brannagh's Much ado about nothing but this was not as good - gave up a while in I'm afraid. Colourful though!

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