Review of Much Ado About Nothing (2013) by Robin F — 08 Apr 2013

It is an ambitious project at most. Majority of the scenes fail to rise to the occasion because the acting drags the whole movie down like a rock.

Beatrice is not witty nor loveable in any way, she is just VERY (VERY!) grumpy. Even though Benedick is somewhat closer to Shakespeare's original "secretly-insecure-but-can't-even-admit-to-himself-charming-asshole" character and Dogberry & his partner are perfect as Shakespearean Starsky & Hutch, Clark Gregg is still Agent Coulson, Don Pedro is clearly in the closet, Don John is Loki's long lost brother, we have no idea why Claudio isn't wooing Hero himself because he is not the slightest bit speechless or love-struck at all when they meet, and Hero is just too ethnic. (by the way she has to be shorter than Beatrice if you insist on using the original text but she was like 6 foot and wearing heels).

Using the original text was Whedon's big mistake but I suppose that gave him more freedom as a director since the whole movie was shot in just 12 days, why did it have to be so fast, we don't know.

If you can get past the 6th form drama class levels of acting, choices Whedon makes as a director are worth watching. But, Joss, please get some help in casting the next time you're going full Elizabethan or at least ask Loki to help your actors out, he went to RADA, he might as well put that education to good use.