Review of Much Ado About Nothing

Introduction

Shakespeare and the big screen have had a rather muddled relationship over the years. Many have tried and failed to bring the bard to film-goers. Much Ado about Nothing has seen several big screen versions already, and has had at least 6 TV adaptations. Kenneth Branagh knows a thing or two about Shakespeare, having brought Hamlet and Henry V to the big screen, and having starred in Oliver Parker`s Othello in 1995.

For "Much Ado", Branagh assembled an all star cast, with both British and international stars, including Emma Thompson (his wife at the time, although they have since parted), Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Briers, Brian Blessed (who was just born to act in Shakespeare), Imelda Staunton, Robert Sean Leonard and Ben Elton. This cast then all met up at a villa in Tuscany, where the entire film was shot.

Video

An non-anamorphic 1.66:1 transfer is shown here, which is rather odd. The German region 2 DVD has a non-anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer, and the region 1 disc has an anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer. So how did we end up with this bizarre ratio? Only the gods at EiV know.

To go with the rather odd ratio, we have only an average picture at best. There are lots of specks and flecks of dirt on the print and a few scratches too. There`s also some grain and artefacting evident, and skin tones aren`t always well represented.

This is a massive missed opportunity, as the film was shot entirely on location in Tuscany, and the DVD doesn`t do anywhere near enough justice to some of the glorious locations and scenery on offer. Shame on you EiV, as I`m led to believe that the picture on the region 1 edition is excellent.

Audio

A DD2.0 surround track, which flips your home cinema amp into ProLogic mode. Whilst this may not compare with a DD5.1 soundtrack it is perfectly adequate for this film, which is almost entirely dialogue based. What music there is comes across well, and the aforementioned dialogue is always audible and understandable (if you can keep up with Shakespearian dialogue, which is very easy to do in this film).

Features

Absolutely nothing at all. Not even a sub-title track!

Conclusion

Once again, Branagh does an excellent job of bringing Shakespeare to the big screen. His adaptation of the play and minor chopping and changing is done with respect and works very well. A very amusing, fast-moving and fun film. The interchanges between Branagh and Thompson are a delight to behold - both their dialogue and their performances are very definitely the highlight of the film. There are some minor niggles, like Keanu Reeves` over-the-top villain, and Michael Keaton and Ben Elton`s double act, although even that is not without its charm! The glorious location and minimal soundtrack also add to the overall experience.

Such a shame then that the disc itself is such a travesty, with a poor picture framed at a bizarre aspect ratio, and not a single extra in sight. The film itself deserves a place in your collection, but the disc really does not. You should look to region 1 if you want to buy. Luckily my copy was second hand and was very cheap, otherwise I would have felt very cheated! Although it looks a bit better than my VHS copy, you should only upgrade yours if you`re going to get the region 1 disc!