Much Ado About Nothing is the Joss Wedon adaptation of the Shakespeare romantic comedy. The film follows two couples in a will-they-or-won't-they game of love set in the back drop of a week at a party mansion. The movie is set in the present and filmed in black and white which is at times problematic with the 400 year old script but is mostly a harmonious reimagining.
The film starts off a little rough and dissonant. It seems in the first 20 minutes or so that the actors are struggling with the language and the sizable amount of exposition. Once that hurdle is jumped the plot gets moving and the actors seem to get warmed up. The leads Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof especially seem to build up steam and give amazing nuanced performances. The famous Beatrice scene "Oh God, that I were a man" is worth the price of admission.
The extensive supporting cast fills out the movie with humor and energy, Nathan Fillion almost steals the last third of the film with his portrayal of idiotic constable Dogberry. The only hiccup in the cast is Sean Maher as the villain who seems confused and out of his depth.
A fun energetic modern film based on an ageless classic.
See It.
Monsters University is the 12 years in the making prequel to Monsters Inc. The movie follows Sully and Mike as they go to monster college and become friends. The plot is reminiscent of many underdog and college stories most closely resembling Revenge of the Nerds. The heart of the first movie is present in its prequel but some of the creativity and magic is lost.
Aimed at kids with some tidbits in there for adults. One joke in particular I loved: Sully and Mike's friends mom drops them off and then says she'll just be waiting listening to her tunes which turn out to be jarring death metal. But for every joke that hits for kids and adults there are five more which are obvious tropes put into the animated-kids-movie joke machine and spit back out.
Good for kids, slightly wearying for adults.
Rent It.
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