Much Ado About Nothing DVD Review

Rating:4 stars
12
DVD/BD Release Date:
7th October 2013 (UK)
Distributor:
Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment
Director:
Joss Whedon
Cast:
Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, Fran Kranz ,Spencer Treat Clark, Reed Diamond, Nathan Fillion,Clark Gregg.
Buy Much Ado About Nothing:
DVD / Blu-ray [Amazon]
When it came to blockbuster spectacle circa 2012, Joss Whedon ruled the waves. His reflective, genre-busting, The Cabin in the Woods had audience and critic alike lauding its equal measures of critique and entertainment. Marvel extravaganza The Avengers knocked it out the part, pulling off an ambitious superhero epic that fulfilled expectations and left us hungry for more. But what did Whedon do next?

Filmed across 12 days at Whedon’s home, this modernisation of the bard’s most humorous work is beautifully realised. His own taste for the comic picks out the silliest physicality and most subtle jokes of the play then relays in his sharp - yet light hearted - way. Much Ado seems to translate Shakespeare’s humour in a way that makes this feature one of the best adaptations to date.

Whedon has always been fairly character driven, The Avengers, for all its action and effects, was essentially driven by the balance of screen time awarded each of its larger-than-life characters. And thus Much Ado is made better time and time again by the band of talent committed to creating this balanced love-play. Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker shine as foe/lovers Beatrice and Benedick, relaying the thin line between love and hate with a vicious kind of tenderness.  Clark Gregg threatens to steal the show as Leonato, his dominating presence and dry humour perhaps fit the script best out of all the cast. When the drama of the lovers perhaps starts to grate, Nathan Fillion professes a comic control second to none as Dogberry.

With this, surely a benchmark for performance has been reached within Whedon’s repertoire, for this is a near-entirely performance based feature. Though, the visual impact of the film is obvious, there are few scenes of genuinely touching image, bar the funeral procession which mixes Gothic imagery with the modern setting, the film can be a bit straight forward. However a tender laid back control of image means his monochrome Shakespeare is impressive and proves the director is just as at home with smaller intimate features as he is with mega-budget fantasy adventures.

A Sleek, sharp, excellently acted, and above all well-orchestrated update, Much Ado About Nothing explores love in all its cruelty and tenderness, whilst keeping intact that staunch element of humour integral to the play. It’s not Luhrmann’s Romeo +Juliet, but it’s definitely Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing

★★★★☆

Scott Clark

Much Ado About Nothing Review

Firefly creator Joss Whedon takes on Shakespeare in his latest cinematic release; adapting the Bard’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing – which follows two couples in the time leading up to their marriages, while others scheme to thwart their happiness.

As with Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet, Whedon’s film makes use of Shakespeare’s original dialect. However unlike that previous work, Much Ado About Nothing  is not so much set in a strictly modern period; instead exuding a timeless that is not representative of one particular era. This is in part due to the film having been shot in black and white – a factor that Whedon notes was due to a limited budget in addition to its aesthetic value.

The cast are assembled mainly from actors whom the director has worked with on previous projects, including Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof and Nathan Fillion. All are excellent in their roles, and manage the source material very capably; particularly Clark Gregg (The Avenger’s Agent Coulson), performing his comedic turn effortlessly.

Much Ado About Nothing translates to the big screen in such capable hands, with Shakespeare’s humour and Whedon’s wit an appropriate pairing. While this will not appeal to the majority of film audiences, it will undoubtedly please fans of both writers, past and present, and it is good to see that Whedon’s creativity has not floundered following his recent successes. A worthy homage.

★★★★☆

Sophie Stephenson

Rating: 12A
Release Date: 14th June 2013 (UK)
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Fran Kranz, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg

Enjoy The UK Trailer For Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing

When your filmography is steeped in comic book movies and vampire hunting college girls, cabins in woods it's intriguing to see how they would cope with adapting William Shakespeare play to big the screen. Joss Whedon achieved this when in 12 days when he created Much Ado About Nothing and ahead of it's UK release a UK Trailer has been released.

Using the original sources text Much Ado About Nothing tells a chaotic tale of lovers and their journey to find that love together, a journey of wit and deception. When it came to High school English the Great bard was always on the agenda bringing boredom but also enjoyment to those who could appreciate his work with great effect. But put aside the academic feel to the movie and Much Ado About Nothing is actually a delightfully funny film. With the contemporary setting the film has a nice tone it and using a group of his friends some who have experience in similar production others first time look like they have delivered something refreshingly entertaining.

Much Ado About Nothing will arrive in UK&Ireland on 14th June (USA 7th) and stars Amy Acker, Emma Bates, Spencer Treat Clark, Alexis Denisof, Reed Diamond, Nathan Fillion, and Clark Gregg.

Thou Art Watch U.S Trailer For Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing

It's amazing what you can do in under 12 days with a bunch of your friends, after Avengers Assemble Joss Whedon decided to make Much Ado About Nothing, check out American trailer.

Shakespeare's classic comedy is given a contemporary spin in Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing . Shot in just 12 days (and using the original text), the story of sparring lovers Beatrice and Benedick offers a dark, sexy and occasionally absurd view of the intricate game that we call love. A Special Presentation at Toronto International Film Festival 2012 and the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2013, Much Ado About Nothing was also selected as the Closing Night film for the Glasgow Film Festival 2013.

Begs the question is Shakespeare for all the masses? Answer should be yes but as seen in in last years Coriolanus, even Anonymous box office they could be considered as failures as they weren't seen as films aimed at the general cinephile (with exception of Anonymous) but the sophisticated arthouse cinephile. With Whedon's background in delivering some of 1990's iconic fantasy/horror tv shows Much Ado About Nothing may just be the film that introduces Shakespeare to an whole new generation.

So who are Joss Whedon's friends who decided to help out their old mucha? Amy Acker, Emma Bates, Spencer Treat Clark, Alexis Denisof, Reed Diamond, Nathan Fillion, and Clark Gregg. They always say Shakespeare is an literature education and your eduction will start in UK&Ireland on 14 June

source:Yahoo