--- title: "Much Ado About Nothing: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/much-ado-about-nothing/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/much-ado-about-nothing" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Much Ado About Nothing (1993): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 11 reviews: 9 positive, 0 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics are won over. The reviews lean warmly positive, with nine of eleven in favour, and the praise clusters on the two leads: Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson as Benedick and Beatrice, whose sparring most find sharp and the film’s chief pleasure. Branagh’s direction is credited with making the play accessible and high-spirited, and the Tuscan villa setting, the starry ensemble and the cheerful pace come up again and again. Several single out Michael Keaton’s Dogberry and Denzel Washington’s Don Pedro. The spread is wide. Two reviews reject the film outright. The New Yorker finds the lush visuals and forced cheer crowd out the play’s darker edges and wit, and complains of the slapstick, though it praises Washington’s restrained Don Pedro. The Independent calls the adaptation lacklustre and self-indulgent, and is unusual in faulting Thompson and Branagh themselves. Among the admirers, Variety thinks the images undistinguished given the setting, and Time Out finds the leads better at romance than comedy. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 4/4. 21 May 1993. The critic praises the film's high spirits, joyful tone and the sparkling chemistry between Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson as Benedick and Beatrice. He highlights Branagh's energetic direction that reinvents the Shakespeare comedy for the screen with accessible, cheerful energy. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/much-ado-about-nothing-1993) ## The New York Times Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 7 May 1993. The critic praises Branagh for transforming Shakespeare's romantic comedy into a triumphantly romantic, comic, and emotionally alive film set at a Tuscan villa. They highlight how the movie uncovers a radiant heart in the play through its artifice and humanity. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/07/movies/review-film-a-house-party-of-beatrice-benedick-and-friends.html) ## Empire — Angie Errigo Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic praises the film as a delightful, starry crowd-pleaser and one of Branagh's greater directorial efforts. She singles out the beautiful Tuscan location, the accessible romantic comedy tone, and the joy of the exuberant ensemble cast for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/much-ado-nothing-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 1993. The critic celebrates the rollicking version led by the star power and top-form performances of Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh as the verbally sparring lovers. He singles out the accessible, high-spirited direction and strong ensemble handling of the language as making it a model of popular Shakespeare. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-14-ca-35083-story.html) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 June 2013. The 1993 Branagh adaptation is a wonder and a perfect term-paper movie that capably brings the traditional interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing to life. It features a strong cast including Branagh and Thompson as Benedick and Beatrice, who deliver good screen performances as a real-life couple, along with pleasures like the picture-perfect opening credits and an overall luxurious Italian vibe. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/06/remembering-branagh-much-ado-about-nothing.html) ## Time Out Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds much to commend in Branagh's pruned, international version of Shakespeare's comedy despite the opening sequence being unmatched. Branagh and Thompson handle the romance better than the comedy but deliver solid verbal jousting, with strong supporting turns from Washington, Reeves, Keaton and Elton. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/much-ado-about-nothing) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1992. The review calls it a spirited, winningly acted rendition that is continuously enjoyable, with strong work from Branagh, Thompson, and Keaton as Dogberry. The main complaint is the undistinguished visual quality despite the beautiful Tuscan setting. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/much-ado-about-nothing-5-1200431270/) ## The Independent — Adam Mars-Jones Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 August 1993. The critic finds Branagh's adaptation lacklustre and self-indulgent despite its Tuscan setting and starry cast. He singles out the forced physical comedy and uneven performances, particularly from Thompson as Beatrice and Branagh as Benedick, for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-much-amiss-adam-marsjones-is-disappointed-by-a-lacklustre-much-ado-about-nothing-1463648.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 3 May 1993. The critic finds the film overly focused on lush visuals and forced cheer at the expense of the play's darker edges and wit, with excessive slapstick and over-the-top performances. They single out Denzel Washington’s restrained Don Pedro as the one standout performance that conveys genuine gravity. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/05/10/too-much-ado) ## Paste — Michael Burgin Rating 8.2/10. 27 June 2013. The review praises Branagh’s 1993 adaptation as a joyous, sun-drenched, faithful rendering of the play with a strong cast and evident love for the source material. It singles out the energetic performances of the leads Benedick and Beatrice for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/much-ado-about-nothing) ## HeyUGuys — Dave Roper Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2014. Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing is the most fun of his Shakespeare films, a bright and breezy romantic comedy played straight with an unbelievably star-studded cast. The barbed interplay between Branagh and Thompson is an unalloyed delight, witty and sharp, with the whole cast acquitting themselves excellently. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/marvel-comic-universe-directors-mcu/5/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/much-ado-about-nothing.md