Rating: 
Summary: Fair adaptation, but not much more
Review: The contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's tale really does not work on many levels. While it's not impossible to have a high quality modernization of Shakespeare (Richard III is a good example), it is difficult. Luhrmann can't quite pull it off. Perhaps it was the attempt to really "glitz" things up or to use campy, El Mariachi style effects, but regardless of effort, R&J falls short.DiCaprio is terrible. This is perhaps his worst performance up to this film; however, Luhrmann did well in casting him in this film, because he, like Danes, works well as naive, star-crossed lovers. It's just that he's not made for Shakespearean lines. There are certainly some high points to the movie. Clair Danes actually performs fairly well, and she's cute as a button (which is how one should envision the 14-year old Juliet). John Leguizamo certainly becomes an ominous character of danger playing Tybalt's role. R&J may be worth renting, but I think you should really consider whether or not it's worth adding to your collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy the DVD NOW
Review: This movie was really good dispite what many critics say. Some people think that the movie was poorly acted and over dramatized, but it is not. Although, I really like the Zeffereli version of Romeo and Juliet, this one gets your heart pounding. Lurhmen does a stunning job of giving an old classic a modern day twist without distroying its brillence. Younger people will be able to follow the plot while more watchful veiwers will be able to get the many instances of symbolism. I would recommend this movie to anyone because it ROCKS!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Lush and Enchanting Experience
Review: There will be people out there that will criticize this version of Romeo + Juliet. Sadly, these people think they are purists, but are totally mistaken. As one that's been reading Shakespeare for years, and have taken classes specifically about the great Bard, as well as being an avid playgoer, this is simply put, one of the most exquisite versions of this tragedy on film. Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet was not made to be a sedate and quiet drama, it was written about a time and place that was quite racy by Elizabethan England's standards. Verona was a place of blood, lust, and intrigue. By updating the storyline so dramatically, Luhrmann tries to give the modern audience a taste of what made this play so remarkable in its time. At first it might seem brash and too MTVish, and simple-minded viewers may be immediately turned off by it, but for those who love seeing Shakespeare come alive, they will be delighted. In our modern times it's often hard to look back on a play like Romeo + Juliet and understand how a sword fight can turn a town upside down or how a feud between two families can get a whole community involved, but Luhrmann turns everything up a notch and makes it obvious why these events were so important to the story's progression. Lurhmann is masterful at updating a classic story to the modern day while preserving the beauty of the original text, and revealing the raw emotion and fire in every scene. The art direction, costuming and sets are excellent and created a fantasy world that the viewer can get swept up and lost in. A great preformance by DiCaprio and the rest of the cast allow this movie to shine to it's fullest potential. There are few people that watch this movie and have mixed views - you will either love it or hate it. If you love it, you'll understand that this is the type of screenplay Shakespeare would have written had he lived in modern times. If you hate it, you obviously just don't understand.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a very impressive film.
Review: "Parting is such sweet sorrow, so I say goodnight until morrow." Why not just goodbye? That's what I said after my first and last viewing of Baz Luhrmann's rendition of "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet," a film I anticipated eagerly, which would explain my dislike for it. The movie takes an unconventional approach to the famed work, pitting the tale of our lovers amidst a modern-day setting, while keeping the precise words from the original play. It attempts to appeal to a broad range of audiences, which explains most of this things wrong with it. Our introduction to the film begins with an ugly outburst between members of two opposing families, the Capulets and the Montagues, at a gas station in Verona Beach, Miami. We're given brief introductions to the important characters, centering on the ominous Tybalt, who slings guns and matches but never inspires any sense of boldness or fear. As the story goes, we're introduced to our "star-crossed lovers," Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet. Their relationship is immediate and rushed, amidst the brawling of their opposing families, and their ultimate decision to stay together seals their timely fates. The big question weighing on everyone's mind is, "Why doesn't it work?" There are three answers to this question: 1) the incorporation of the play's dialogue and events into modern-day life, 2) the way in which the treatment is handled by Luhrmann, and 3) a lack of emotion generated by the supporting cast. The film attempts to keep the dialogue and customs of the period within the story, and it clashes with the modern-day era in so many ludicrous ways. Romeo's friends and confidants wear saggy pants and unbuttoned shirts, all the while shouting out poetry in an almost rap-like nature. Their lines are unconvincing and border on hilarity in some serious scenes, taking away from the story of anguish and battle between the families. Of course, some blame is to lay at the hands of the actors in these roles. John Leguizamo portrays Tybalt, and fails to do anything with the character. He is supposed to be feared by his foes, and cocky in his demeanor, but Leguizamo only succeeds in making a mere fool of himself by hamming it up all the way. Dash Mihok is seriously miscast as Benvolio, and would do better to stay away from serious roles such as this. And the hammiest of the hammy goes to Carlos Martín Manzo Otálora who, as Petruchio, is uninspiring, unconvincing, and just plain aggravating to watch. His trysts in drag are some of the most ridiculous machinations of the film. The battle between the two families is never established, nor are the actors who portray the parents of our lovers. Brian Dennehy as Ted Montague is given nothing more to do than sit in a limo throughout most of the film debating with his wife, an equally uninvolving Christina Pickles. Lady Capulet, now Gloria, played by Diane Venora, is overly flamboyant and flat, and her performance at a costume party is the glaze on the ham. The one supporting character who is given a chance to shine is Paul Sorvino as Fulgencio Capulet, and when he lays the hand down on Juliet, his performance is powerful in spite of the rest. And then there are the two leads, Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo and Claire Danes as Juliet. There is an large amount of chemistry between these two, which is intrical to the romance, and and the two of them play their parts extremely well. DiCaprio is actually convincing in his deliverance of Shakespeare's poetic words, as is Danes, who evokes sadness and a slight naivety in her role. The love scenes, most notably at the costume party and at the balcony, sold me on their romance and chemistry and, believe it or not, I felt my heart beating a little faster. It's only a shame that all of this is wasted on the surrounding execution of the plot. Luhrmann's use of the story's plot amidst modern Miami is a far miss in terms of believability. Our opposing characters carry around guns like a baby carries candy, in full view of citizens and cops; Romeo is merely banished from the city for his ole in the death of Tybalt; everyone is speaking in verse and rhyme. You'll find yourself heaving a lot of "no ways" throughout. His combination of the verse of the play and modern times seem more like hopes of attaining a larger audience than actual art or vision. There's too much hammy acting and uninspiring elements in "Romeo and Juliet" to merit acclaim of any sort. The only upside resides in the romance aspect between the two young lovers, handled wonderfully by the two leads. But Luhrmann chooses to bury them under a blanket of ludicrous performances by most of the supporting cast and muddled dialogue which is totally out of place in the modern setting. "By my head, here comes Baz Luhrmann's new film." "By my heel, I care not."
Rating:
Summary: YOU GOT TO SEE IT ! ! !
Review: YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE THIS FILM, IT'S THE BEST YOU CAN MAKE OUT OF A SHAKESPEARE'S PLAY, IT'S NOT AT ALL LIKE THOUSE OLD FASHONED STUPID PLAYS; THOUGH I MUST TELL YOU THAT IT USED THE WORDS OF THE ORAGENAL PLAY. WHEN I SAW THE FILM, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HAFE OF THE WORD THEY ARE SAYING, BUT EVEN WITHOUT WORDS, THIS FILM WAS AS GOOD AS TITANIC. A WORD OF WARNING: IF YOU WANT TO STAY OUT OF LOVE, DON'T WATCH THIS FILM!
Rating:
Summary: DAMN!
Review: Damn this was the best movie i ever seen i can't believe it!!! i understood everything fine... i guess because i read the book in class. I almost cried several time this movie touvhed me. i loved it so much and recoomend it to everyone! you may have to read the book before you watch this to undertsnd. basically I LOVED IT TO DEATH
Rating: 
Summary: Ridiculous
Review: This has to be one of the most horrific bastardizations of Shakespeare that I've seen in a while. I felt like I was watching bad Anime (there is some great Anime.. this was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers bad). Juliet's mother was simply embarrassing. The cinematography was good, but I simply couldn't stomach such horrid performances. You really loose something when a duel is gunshots exchanged at a gas station. BORE ME TO TEARS. There's good Shakespeare and bad Shakespeare. The latter is the reading of gracefull poetry. Blech. AND THEN.. there is this... a genre fitting with Evita. A two hour long pile of human excretion. Willy is a-rollin' in his grave.
Rating:
Summary: Shunning Shakespeare
Review: In a beweldering attempt to create a Shakespearean movie set in today's era, the director, Baz Luhrmann, has messed up. He introduced Dicaprio and Danes to Shakespearean language that they are far from reciting in a flowing manner that sounds correct.Luhrmann has gotten rid the beautiful gowns that Shakespeare had his actors in and turned it into a wild fashion show that many may dislike. Despite his mistakes Luhrmann has not been at a total loss, he did manage to translate the characters into modern characters we can recognize well, such as the flamboyant Mercutio into a RuPaul; however some do not stay true to Shakespeare, greatly upseting the film.
Rating:
Summary: N/A
Review: I consider myself to be a pretty much diehard fan of Shakespeare. (And so does my mother...)And even though I saw and looked Zephrelli's 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, I like this one too. And for the stuffed shirts adults: I don't even like Leonardo DiCaprio, that much. I went to see this, because I love Shakespeare. And I'd hate to break it to you, but did it ever occur to you, that in Shakespeare's original play, there are NO stage directions? I've read the script one thousand times. There are no stage directions, except for so-and-so enters or leaves. So today four hundred years later, actors have to interpet what he meant. This movie does something: unlike me, my cousin and younger brother, do not like to read. They hated Shakespeare and said he was just some dead white guy. But when I showed them this movie, they loved it and changed theie minds about Shakespeare. I have one more thing to say. In English class, reading the play, the characters were shown just like I minagined: Romeo, Julier, Lady and Lord Capulet, Lady and Lord Montague, Benvolio, Tybalt, Mercutio, Friar Lawerence, the Nurse... I thought the actors did a good job. Bad acting is being monotone and unrealistic. I thought their actions and reactions were very natural.
Rating:
Summary: william shakespears romeo and juliet
Review: Though often overlooked, I would have to say this is one of my all time favorite movies. The use of a modern setting with this classic tale make's not only a visual masterpiece, but a mix of poetic splendor that is often missing from the stage version. I hope that anyone who comes across this movie will see it for what it is, not a travisty to the author, but instead a version that has opened the minds of many young people to this timeless tale of love, tragedy and chaos. A true reflection of our fantastic, wild world.
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