7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Adaptation of Shakespearean comedy about mistaken identity.
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Michael Keaton, Robert Sean Leonard, Keanu Reeves, Emma ThompsonRomance | 100% |
War | 10% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
German: Dolby Digital 2.0
Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0
Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, Norwegian
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When you think “1990s” and “Shakespeare adaptation,” the first film that probably comes to mind is Baz Luhrmann’s flashy, bullet-riddled Romeo + Juliet, which reimagined the Capulets and Montagues as pistol-packing SoCal gangsters warring on Verona Beach and tooling around town in low-riders. The attempt was to bring Shakespeare to the masses, to couch the Bard’s complex verse in easy-to-understand modern imagery. Purists and scholars cried foul—they doth protest too much, says I—but the film was massively popular, thanks largely to the casting of doe-eyed cutie Leonardo DiCaprio as the eponymous Romeo, which sent teen girls to theaters in hormonal, hyperventilating droves. Three years prior, Belfast-born actor/director Kenneth Branagh—whose 1989 version of Henry V positioned him as the rightful heir to Laurence Olivier—took a different tact with the comedy Much Ado About Nothing, a more traditional adaptation that nevertheless did strong box office business and won a good deal of critical praise. While not as daring, controversial, and—therefore—talked about as Baz Luhrmann’s decade-defining film, Much Ado About Nothing is lighthearted, romantic, and genuinely funny.
The men of "Much Ado."
Some of MGM's recent catalog re-releases have been visually disappointing—with transfers sourced from outdated masters—but I have no major issues with Much Ado About Nothing's 1080p/AVC encode, which generally looks strong. The print shows a few white specks and minor scratches here and there, and there are moments of unexplained softness—sometimes switching between clear and slightly blurry within a single scene—but grain is mostly natural-looking and edge enhancement, while visible on occasion, never rises to the level of a distraction. For the most part, the picture displays appreciable high definition clarity, pulling detail out of the intricate period costuming, the fine textures of the actors' faces, and the individual whiskers of Kenneth Branagh's perfectly groomed, Just For Men-style beard. While certain hues can seem just a hair "hot" at times—lightly oversaturated, like the too-pink skin tones—color balance is better than acceptable and there's a pleasing warmth to the Tuscan sun-drenched image. Likewise, black levels are adequately dense and contrast is neither too pushed nor flat. That is, just right. Finally, compression noise is kept to a minimum, and there are no overt banding, blocking, or aliasing issues.
While some may have wished for a full-on multi-channel presentation, I have no qualms with Much Ado's DTS 2.0 stereo track, which competently handles the film's limited sonic requirements. Well, there is one cause for complaint: Both the disc's menu and the back of the Blu-ray case claim that the film features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio track, when, in fact, this simply isn't true. How much better would the film sound with a lossless mix? That's debatable. It would probably be a hair brighter, cleaner, and fuller, but I don't think most viewers/listeners will be able to tell the difference. It's a shame Fox wouldn't just automatically use a DTS-HD Master Audio Track, but I wouldn't get too hung up over it. This is a low-key film, audio wise, and the included mix sounds just fine. This being Shakespeare and all, you can expect the emphasis to remain firmly on the sharp, rapid-fire dialogue. The voices are clear and intelligible in the mix throughout—no crackles, hisses, drop-outs, or muffling—but if you want to catch all the nuance of what's being said, the disc's many subtitle options will certainly come in handy. Patrick Doyle's orchestral score accompanies the story's changing moods well, and although the music can come across a bit brash in the high end, it's never shrill or tinny. This is a rather unremarkable mix, not because it's flawed, but literally—there's not much to say about it. Where it counts though—clean, easy on the ears dialogue—you won't be disappointed.
I'd love to hear a commentary by Branagh, but alas, we'll have to make do with a short Making Ado About Nothing featurette (SD, 6:05), which includes the usual assortment of talking head soundbytes and behind the scenes footage. The disc also includes a 1080p theatrical trailer, clocking in at 2:29.
Following in Sir Laurence's oversized footsteps—and somehow filling them—Kenneth Branagh has become the actor/director to bring Shakespeare to a contemporary audience. His take on Much Ado About Nothing is breezy, enjoyable, and can be appreciate by English Lit majors and rom-com connoisseurs alike. Aside from a few specks and minor scratches, the film looks great on Blu-ray as well, so I wouldn't hesitate to pick this one up if you're interested. Recommended!
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