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      Much Ado About Nothing

      PG-13 Released May 7, 1993 1 hr. 50 min. Comedy Romance Drama List
      90% 49 Reviews Tomatometer 86% 50,000+ Ratings Audience Score In this Shakespearean farce, Hero (Kate Beckinsale) and her groom-to-be, Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), team up with Claudio's commanding officer, Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), the week before their wedding to hatch a matchmaking scheme. Their targets are sharp-witted duo Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson) -- a tough task indeed, considering their corresponding distaste for love and each other. Meanwhile, meddling Don John (Keanu Reeves) plots to ruin the wedding. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Apr 16 Buy Now

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      Much Ado About Nothing

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      Critics Consensus

      Kenneth Branagh's love for the material is contagious in this exuberant adaptation.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Johnathon W Fun adaptation if the classic Shakespeare play, thanks to a game cast and direction, though more flawed than other works. The actors are all superb, with Branagh and Thompson a fun romantic pairing, while Denzel Washington brings some nice gravitas as the Don. Unfortunately, note every actor is up to the task, specifically Keanu Reeves, who can't quite pull off the dialogue. Behind the camera, Branagh once again does an excellent job adapting Shakespeare, making it accessible while staying true to the story and dialogue. Overall, a fun adaptation, despite the short comings of some of the cast. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/13/24 Full Review Blu B A Classic Romance. The highlight is the amazing cinematography. It's gorgous, always sunny and bright and filled with life with great camerawork. Everything else is really well done. My only minor complaints is it can be a bit hard to follow all the other romances going on although they do a good job making them intersect and connect the events of each so it never feels like it's a anthology or unconnected romances. But personally I am someone who struggles to follow the Shakespheare play dialouge just by reading it as a lot of it is just over my head because of the flowerly english. Movies have helped me tremedously look past my inability to understand the play. The actors body language and visual representation of each scene is done really well so much so even if I don't fully understand what they are saying I still know what they are trying to get across. A testament to the story and direction. It's cool how you can see here the underlying traits of other Romance stories particulary Rom-Coms that would be borrowed. Anyone who is a fan of Shakspehare, wishes to understand it better, fan of any actors in this, or the director will like this a lot. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/24 Full Review Tim M With writer-director-star Kenneth Branagh further flexing his Shakespearean know-how, Much Ado About Nothing is perhaps the finest adaptation of one of the bard's finest comedies. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/24 Full Review Djibril W It can feel like it's dragging at times with its pacing. Also like much of Shakespeare work it can be very overdramtic. None the less, it's still works pretty well with its performances, screenplay, design, and even the actors that make the experience worth while. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Kenneth Branagh assembles a very colorful ensemble adapting the play by William Shakespeare Believe it or not this is actually Kate Beckinsale's first feature film debut! She co-stars with Branagh, Emma Thompson, Imelda Staunton, Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, and Robert Sean Leonard The dialogue delivered by these upcoming actors is easy to understand without losing much of the charm and class Shakespeare shared It's hard to make material that's hundreds of years old palpable to a general audience but the actors are really committed right down to the costumes and the mannerisms of the era Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/08/23 Full Review Benjamin W Faithfull to the Shakespearean source (except about four lines of then-current political stuff), this movie offers both outstanding humor and deep pathos not only from the writing, but from the direction and acting as well. It is my all-time favorite movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      David Denby New York Magazine/Vulture Much Ado About Nothing is one of the few movies of recent years that could leave its audiences weeping with joy. Dec 31, 2019 Full Review Stanley Kauffmann The New Republic Doyle's enrapturing music and Branagh's cinematic grip of the play--inventive, lithe, somehow Shakespearean--are splendid. This Much Ado is a flawed gem. Certainly, regrettably, flawed; still, a gem. Jan 5, 2018 Full Review Adam Mars-Jones Independent (UK) Emma Thompson is normally a very reliable performer on screen, but Beatrice is not one of her successes. Nov 16, 2017 Full Review Farah Cheded A Good Movie To Watch It might not be set to the music of ABBA, but with Patrick Doyle’s radiant score, an intoxicatingly beautiful Tuscan setting, and an infectious, non-stop party vibe, the joyous Much Ado About Nothing feels [...] akin to Mamma Mia Rated: 75/100 Jul 26, 2023 Full Review Michael Dwyer Irish Times What a piece of work is this. Feb 19, 2019 Full Review Anne Barton The New York Review of Books Imaginative, intelligent, and brilliantly filmed, Branagh's Much Ado... is likely to make many people-especially the young-understand that Shakespeare can be vital, interesting, moving, and fun. Aug 14, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis In this Shakespearean farce, Hero (Kate Beckinsale) and her groom-to-be, Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), team up with Claudio's commanding officer, Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), the week before their wedding to hatch a matchmaking scheme. Their targets are sharp-witted duo Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson) -- a tough task indeed, considering their corresponding distaste for love and each other. Meanwhile, meddling Don John (Keanu Reeves) plots to ruin the wedding.
      Director
      Kenneth Branagh
      Screenwriter
      Kenneth Branagh, William Shakespeare
      Distributor
      Argentina Video Home, Columbia Tristar
      Production Co
      BBC, Samuel Goldwyn Company
      Rating
      PG-13
      Genre
      Comedy, Romance, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      May 7, 1993, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jul 27, 2012
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $22.5M
      Sound Mix
      Surround
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