Much Ado About Nothing (2012): Tow Jockey Five Second Review

Despite the claims on the poster that this version of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" by Joss Whedon is a "masterpiece" and "second to none",  I have my reservations. Uneven is the word that comes to my mind. It has brilliant moments but also sequences that make me cringe. It is filmed in black and white which allows for some stunning cinematography. Some of the shots are just outstanding. But it's filmed in black and white which is a strange choice for what is ostensibly a colorful comedy. To my way of thinking, bright colors are the order of the day not the seriousness of monochrome. The sequences are great. Scene 1 of Act 4 where Benedict agrees to kill Claudio was moving. The scene in which the constable interrogates the "lying knaves" was funny. The sequences are horrible. The Masquerade, the goons arising from the pool behind Claudio and the scene in the room where Don John hatches his evil plot with camera angles straight out of Batman the TV series and to the sounds of light jazz. The acting is great. I think Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof do a very good job especially for two who have no notable Shakespearean pedigree. The acting is ham-fisted notably by minor characters such as the maids and the woman cast as Conrade. All the while my mind is making comparisons to 1993's version of the same play done by Kenneth Branagh and starring Emma Thompson. I think Whedon's version falls a little short. One thing you can say about the newer movie though is that it doesn't have Keanu Reeves in it which is a good thing all the way around.

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