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William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet (Special Edition)

William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet (Special Edition)

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $17.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A love story done by the book
Review: You will either hate this film or love it. I LOVE IT! I watch it at least four times per week. My first time viewing it was in '96 and I fell asleep. My next time was in '02 and I have been hooked every since!!! I have seen every other version of R&J from Shearer and Howard to Whiting and Hussey and neither version has the passion of this R&J. I do not believe that anyone else will film another version as it will surely pale in comparison of this one. If there is a weak spot, it is the opening gas station scene. To survive that means that you will love the rest. Hold on to your seat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: puts a new twist on a great love story
Review: the first time i saw this movie i hated it, i didnt understand what they were saying or what the heck was going on. But then we read the play in english, and i saw the movie again and i loved it! i think the thing about this movie is if you understand what they are saying. Its an awesome movie and i really like that they kept most of the orignal lines, and how they speek in old english. Before you buy or even watch this movie, i think you should read the play, just so you get alittle back ground on it and you know what they are talking about.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Romeo and Juliet -- a great movie
Review: This is an incredible movie!! Everything about it - from the setting to the actors to the music is amazing. This movie is set in modern times but the dialogue is not, so i suggest that you have some sort of knowledge concerning that sort of speech to fully get the play and some of the jokes. Claire and Leo are great as Romeo and Juliet. The music is also great! i suggest this movie to anyone that is looking for a good movie and also a good cry (cause you will)

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: the worst movie EVER!!!
Review: Shakespeare would have rolled over in his grave when he saw this movie! the combination of overdramatic acting, chaos, and Elizabethan language in a present day setting is enough to make anyone roll over in their grave! the movie is so jam-packed with outrageously dream-like sequences that you'd have to be a fool to enjoy it. it goes by so fast that when you blink it's over. this movie proves that you can't take 15th century Europe and convert it to 20th century California.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Romeo + Juliet: Better than the first? Or not?
Review: First of all, I would've given this movie a 3 1/2 rating if it was possible, but I just rounded it up to 4.

I watched this movie, along with the first version, starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey as (of course) Romeo and Juliet, in English. Yes, I know, it was assigned, so I couldn't get out of it. I have to say, both versions are better in different ways. I undoubtedly think that the acting was far better in the first version. I liked the actual movie and the 90's twist better in this version.

I have to say, I am a fan of Baz Lurhmann's work. He did an awesome job directing "Moulin Rouge" and some parts in Romeo + Juliet sort of reminded me of that movie. I didn't think that the people could act, though, in this version. Leonardo Di Caprio was horible, and Claire Danes was just "so-so".

I don't think they should've used the original Shakespearian lingo, because the actors (and actresses) just couldn't interpret it well enough to act it out. I think that Olivia Hussey was better looking than Claire Danes, but maybe it's just me. I liked the puns in this version, ex: the guns wth "dagger" on the side. It was hilarious with Mercutio being a cross-dresser.

I liked this because it was sort of fast paced, which I liked, just like "Moulin Rouge." Again, the acting was horrible, our class couldn't stop laughing because they sounded funny trying to say the lines. I'm not sure about the DVD features, so I can't rate them, but the movie is pretty good!

My overall opinion? The acting in this version was atrocious, but the directing was brilliant. Baz Lurhmann is a genius. That's right, a genius. Also, check out the soundtrack for both this film and the original Romeo & Juliet.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful
Review: This is a great version of Romeo & Juliet...
Its set in a different time period & has more action & more romance
Its a classic movie turned into a more convincing love story!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: young hearts
Review: mercutio in drag is perfect; his whole role as acted is great. He's gay, he's tough, and he dies pretty well. There's a lot of interesting thoughts, how they make the chorus (as done by the newswoman), the prince/chief of police, and mercutio black. And how can you REALLY criticize leonardo as romeo? He IS Romeo. The end isn't bloody enough. Paris needs to get killed by Romeo, especially as he comes off like such the cornball that he is. But he just disappears instead. Paul Sorvino as Capulet was good. The Father was very good. Juliet? My favorite scene that they leave out is her imagining having to pluck and play with her kinsmen's bones and whatnot in case she awakes early in the tomb. Having Juliet wake up right before Romeo dies is very over-dramatic and so perfect as the play is over-dramatic.
gunplay in place of sword play just doesn't really work somehow. John Leguizamo's Tybalt is alright, not his best role, not the best tybalt. But he has the right look.
Very visually pleasing, and the pool scenes are all very good. The Capulet mansion is nice, overall great movie. And great adaptation of the play.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A movie that tries too hard
Review: I watched this film in English class in addition to the Zefferelli version, which I can reccommend much more. At least see it, or read the play, before you see this. This would be a really cool, artsy film. However, Lhurmann tries too hard to be prolific, when he doesn't realize that the story itself is prolific enough.

For those of you who already know the play: The Capulets are decked out in leather and spurs, while the Montagues wear hawaiian shirts, that, for the most part, stay unbuttoned throughout the film. That's one bit of advice I might add: Keep your shirts on. Also, the opening sequences, indeed, everything till about the balcony scene, is cluttered, crazy, and hard to follow, unless you already know the sequence of events pretty well. Once everything calms down, you can really enjoy the symbolism of the film.

Also: A few characterization problems: In the play, Benvolio is more of a peacemaker. That seems to be forgotten in this film. Also, making Mercutio into a drag queen was just too much. It means nothing to the actual development of the plot, it's just there for...I'm trying to decide between entertainment and further confusion, so I don't really have an answer to that right now.

In conclusion, whether you're a shakespeare person, or a movie person, you'll find that this film, though the idea has good potential, was executed in a way that was, perhaps, just a bit too over the top to make it good.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good movie;some things just didin't make sense
Review: Okay, what didn't make sense is how the movie can take place in modern day and still have Shakespearean language. In some parts of the movie this takes away the whole beauty of Shakespeare. Unfourtunatly whenever they make a movie out of a Shakespeare play, it isn't really that good. Clair Danes played a good Juliet, Leonardo Dicaprio wasn't that good of a Romeo(sorry for anyone thats a fan of his).Although I must say this version of Romeo and Juliet is better than the one that they made back in 1968, thats why I am giving this version 3 stars.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Modernized but great!
Review: I've watched this version of Romeo & Juliet quite a few times (I actually participated in a school play of Romeo & Juliet based on this version), and I have to say that Baz has fitted the movie to modern society extremely well. The movie itself would not be good if you are looking for an accurate replay with swords and daggers and extravagant dresses, but I personally think it rises above the other versions because anyone nowadays can relate to it. It's set in our time, and it makes the whole story easier (for me) to follow along with. The men don't fight with swords, they fight with guns (models that are cleverly named Sword 9mm), and the characters don't wear what they would have in the original setting, but clothes that we might wear. It could have happened to your neighbors, for all the setting tells you. On the whole, an excellent movie that I think you'll enjoy.


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