Review of Midsummer Night`s Dream, A

Introduction

William Shakespeare: many say he was the greatest playwright, ever - and that is one hell of an achievement. A Midsummer Nights Dream is one of his most famous comedies, and if one was to put it in a modern genre, then Romantic Comedy seems to be the most appropriate.

This modern day rendition stars a whole host of stars, such as Christian Bale, Stanley Tucci, Rupert Everett, Michelle Pfeiffer and Sophie Marceau. The plot is summarised above, but a simple explanation is that it involves a love triangle, against the backdrop of a picture-perfect Greek town, where fairies also abode...

The first thing that strikes you about it is how vibrant it is, this has been transferred excellently from page to screen, and from the excellent portrayals of the characters to the good fairy set design, it oozes Shakesperian-ism - no doubt this is how the Bard envisaged this.

Video

It is presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, and the visuals are deep and well defined. The palette is used well, there are no compression signs evident, and the print is crisp and clear throughout.

The visuals are good, especially the cinematography and presentation of the movie. The shots of the surroundings blend seamlessly with the action, and convey a good sense of community.

Audio

A DD 5.1 track is on offer, and the surrounds are used well during the dialogue and score. The ambience level is just right, there is no volume conflict, nor any compression signs evident - all adding up to a good audio track.

The script is adapted well, with familiar lines of dialogue mixed with some good set-pieces. Being aimed at a modern audience, it doesn`t lay it on too thick - but for fans of Shakespeare they will also find something positive in the movie.

Features

There are absoloutely no extras at all on offer, which is criminal considering this is a 2002 DVD release.

The menus are completely static, and offer the usual setup and scene selection.

A Midsummer Nights Dream is presented in a black Amaray case with a leaflet containing chapter listings.

Conclusion

The movie is good fun for a night in, but the actual subject material isn`t the best the Bard wrote, so the movie can`t excel. However, the acting is good, with each actor capturing their respective characters well.

Disc wise, the quality of the presentation is top-notch, but the complete abscence of extras knocks it down in the overall stakes.

Overall, worth a rent, but not the best Shakespeare movie...Romeo + Juliet still holds that honour.