4/5 interesting...
  by Reviewer Mary (Boston, MA)
this was a very good humorus film i would watch over and over again, if it didn't have a few objectionable parts..

4/5 Wonderful Film
  by 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.

2/5 Much to say about nothing...
  by Andrew Ellington (Mulholland Drive)
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.

5/5 Really delightful!
  by Mz Susan (Tampa Florida)
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.

5/5 Sigh no more
  by W. Jamison (Eagle River, Ak United States)
This movie is way too much fun. Great lines spoken with great flair. Crazy lines spoken with just the right amount of wit to make them reasonable. Even the extras on the disk help make the play more fun and more sensible too. Is it a play about who should marry who? Sigh no more ladies.