Review of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead (2009) by Thomas W — 15 Nov 2010

A high-brow concept delivered to the viewer in a low-quality production. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead is supposed to be hilarious but it only turns out to be mildly amusing. The story is not "Hamlet meets a vampire" .

.. although that is what the title portends ... but it does tell us that Shakespeare knew a vampire and was persuaded by him to write the play Hamlet (based upon the vampire's musings/ravings). See -- high-brow! The story has promise; but it isn't delivered.

In this film, we have an off-Broadway production of Hamlet that has been over-edited by the vampires running the show. Perhaps they were trying to cash in on the vampire craze; but if it isn't good or funny nobody is going to watch.

Also, vampire movies require blood ... and this film had very little of it (staked vampires also simply turn into a pile of bones). It is all rather hokey-dokey. The cast is relatively unknown although one will see some familiar faces (Ralph Macchio [the original Karate Kid] actually appears in this).

As much as I enjoyed the film, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, I hoped this could be its eerie brother; but it isn't. It stumbles quite a bit and never achieves anything of value. Too bad so sad.