Richard III

Rating:
Summary: imaginative and bravura shakespeare
Review: An original interpretation of "Richard III", with excellent performances by a star-studded cast. Those who quibble with the "Fish out of water" casting of Annette Benning and Robert Downey Jr.,(who hold their own amongst classically trained actors), don't you see that's the point? Elizabeth Grey and her family were underbred, greedy interlopers looked down on by the "true" aristocrats. By casting Americans, the film makes very obvious their status as outsiders who could never fit into the upper-class milieu that Elizabeth's lucky marriage thrust them. I saw McKellen onstage in this role, and am thrilled that a version of it has been preserved on film. I'd even recommend it to those not usually Shakespeare friendly. I saw this with a vehemently non-Shakespearean friend, and he walked out loving it. (Trust me, if you knew him, you'd understand what a rave that is!) Well worth seeing and owning.

Rating:
Summary: Not everyone thought it was genius...
Review: Two words: Shakespeare lite

Don't get me wrong, I love my Shakespeare, and the idea of adapting a Shakespearean play to more concurrent events is an excellent concept, but I found the movie lacking in substance.

McKellan does an excellent job. I found, however, that Bening and Downey Jr. seemed terribly "fish out of water".

The DVD, as well, is pretty lacklustre, with hardly an extra in sight.

Rating:
Summary: A good Shakespeare adaptation
Review: One of the great things about Shakespeare is how well his plays adapt to different times. In this version of Richard III, the setting is moved to a 1930s version of a fascist England, and it works well.

There are some good actors in this movie, but Ian McKellen makes the movie successful. As the title character, he practically oozes evil in a role that could invite haminess in a lesser actor.

This is not a perfect movie, but it is good. For a fan of Shakespearean cinema, this is highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Watch This As A Double Feature
Review: I found it very effective and enlightening to first view Al Pacino's "Looking For Richard" before diving into this wonderful
interpretation of Shakespeare. The Pacino film does an admirable - and frequently hilarious - job of explicating the soap opera plot and in the doing immerses you in iambic pentameter enough that when you turn to McKellan's marvelous film you barely notice the characters are speaking in verse. As for "Richard III" itself, well, what can be said? If Sir Ian were ever to portray a character who did nothing but belch, fart and scream profanities, it would unquestionably be worth watching. And yes, I am a huge fan of Lord Of The Rings but I'm thinking much more of his work in this film and certainly "Gods And Monsters" (all you "Mummy" fans ought to check THAT one out!) and even the seriously underrated and over-
criticized "X Men" (yes, I AM looking forward to the sequel!)
As for the supporting cast (a.k.a. "any character not Richard"),
okay, maybe Annette Bening is in a bit over her head here, but the film is called "Richard III", ya know, not "Queen Elizabeth"... hmmmmm, Miranda Richardson comes to mind. Nah,
wrong universe! Look, it's Ian McKellan's show here - literally
! How many living actors are there who would dare claim screen-
writing credits alongside Will S.? Or dead ones, for that matter! One last point: if you're a Pink Floyd fan, even if not much for Shakespeare or drama or soap opera or war films, sit this one out - it'll be worth the ride.

Rating:
Summary: The man you love to hate
Review: This is a great film but if you haven't seen it, be careful. Though it is set in the 1930's, the dialogue is original Shakespeare. McKellen's interpretation of this classic is top notch

Rating:
Summary: Superb, but not for everyone
Review: The reason it's not for everyone is that the actors speak in
Shakespearean prose. If you can get past that, it's nearly a
great film--half humor, half horror. It might be best to read
the play first, or in some other way gain an understanding of
what's going on. McKellen is a delight and runs over the other
actors. The movie is set in what might be called an alternate universe--an England of the late '30's or early '40's, with
royal houses (sporting vaguely Nazi attire) vying for control of
the country. The sets are sumptious, the music wonderful. McKellen, as the deformed Richard III, is part Satan, part child, and completely fun. The last several seconds of the film are a blast, and watching them alone is worth the price of the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly Stunning and Masterful
Review: Shakespeare does not always adapt well to cinema. This, however, is a stunning and quite sublime adaptation. The cast is quite outstanding (Ian McKellen proving now that Gandalf in Lord of the Rings is not his first great performance). The TRUE genius, though, is from Richard Loncraine, Director.

Loncraine has long been associated with the very best of British and American drama (Brimstone and Treacle, and Band of Brothers where he directed undoubtedly the finest part, episode 2, being two better known examples). The dark and powerful nature of this play is brought out in the most profound manner by Loncraine who confirms his place as one Britain's - and therefore the World's - finest directors.

Buy this film. On DVD if you can, or on VHS if you can't. You will not regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Wicked Fun!
Review: Ian McKellen is predictably excellent in this Art Director's field day production of RICHARD III. Designer Tony Burrough's has mounted a "FASCIST WONDERLAND". Sometimes the set evokes Tim Burton's Batman Gotham; sometimes a xero-hologram of sci-fi's DARK CITY; or OZ's fortess of the Wicked Witch of The West. At any rate, it is Nazi-ambience of THE SET wherein the "conscience of the viewer is caught" in an immensely entertaining pseudo-epic of the dastardly deeds of the Duke of Gloucester.

Annete Bening is excellent as Queen Elizabeth. Kristin Scott Thomas is astonishing as Lady Anne, wife to one of the innumerable Princes slain by Richard...whom he in turn seduces and marries at his politcal pleasure(( Anne later becomes a remorse-driven heroine addict)).The rest of the cast is excellently unctious; oblivious; obsequious; or properly terrified as Richard goes gleefully about his murderous agenda. Again: setting, costumes and art direction make this bloody exercise in SHAKESPEAREAN MALICE...usually...wickedly funny rather than wicked. (( The Assassination...drowned in the bath while awaiting Royal Pardon at the hands of two archetypally repellant Shakespearean thugs...of the Duke of Clarence, empathetically played by Nigel Hawthorne, IS a tragic exception and genuine horror.))Even 30's style Swing jazz music punctuating some of the film's strategic moments and foulest deeds sounds satirical rather than dramatic or even melodramatic.

This is a fun movie. A well-made, wicked fun movie about a Bad Guy being very,very BAD. But unlike TITUS...where, in my estimate, the Director lost control and made a film that devolves into a celebration of perversity and violence...this RICHARD III is cool stuff. It's the type of Shakespeare that used to make The Bard a lot of money and give "bad evil" a "good" name......

Rating:
Summary: Stunning tale of slimey king.
Review: This neatly trimmed down, nicely packaged film is a great vehicle for fans of the story to enjoy. The tale fits nicely into the World War I environment and nothing ever betrays that. Ian McKellen is stunning in the title role. And ironically, this DVD with its great video capture actually has an incredible active surround channel, something unexpected from a movie based on the work of a wordy playwrite. But, with all the praise, I have to detract from the 'perfect' rating because much of the original text is trimmed (not such a bad thing), but the result is that several of the relationships are confusing and a cursory understanding of the story is required before viewing to make any sense of it. This is not so apparent with any of the immediate relationships to RICHARD, but a first time viewer can get frustrated, moreso then in the other more recent Shakespeare adaptions. Still, this is a wonderful film and a terrific document.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Adaptation!
Review: Richard III VHS ~ Ian McKellen is a very different adaptation then that of the Olivier version. Olivier was true to the original time period. In this version we are shown the third reich only in England instead of Germany. Mckellan is not one of my favorite actors; however, in this role he is simply stupendous and shows that he has the right mettle to play the evil, hatefull and power hungry man known as Richard III. Highly Recommended.