The Tempest

One of the best versions of Shakespeare ever filmed. I have NO idea why the critics don't like it. Then again - years ago - the critics hated The Lion in Winter.... which is now often listed amongst the 100 best films ever made. The Tempest is a gritty play about vengeance and magic. It takes place on an isolated island. This is NOT a play like Romeo and Juliet or The Taming of the Shrew... no fluff; no sap; no pretty Italian scenery... When seen on the stage, this play is a brutish fairy tale that transfixes one with the mysterious. Someone living in late 1500's, early 1600's England would have seen this play akin to our Star Wars. This play can be really boring if Prospero isn't a good actor. It basically can become one pompous speech after another. Not so with Helen Mirren. Every moment she is on screen, bristles with depth, intensity - and yes - vengeance. I consider a movie to be great when I get lost in it and am unaware of my surroundings. anything can pull you out of a movie - a bad actor, bad script, bad music, bad camera angles... Everything about THIS movie worked so cohesively that I was on that island. I was there and I wanted justice to win out. Taymor is a great director. This movie is spell binding. The music is worth buying separately. Five stars.

This film version of The Tempest worked for me. It was well acted throughout. Shakespeare's language, themes, and story came through nicely. The action was well paced - none of the dull stretches sometimes found in TV and movie adaptations of Shakespeare. And the magical elements, on which Shakespeare depends to advance his story, are brilliantly imagined and presented by Julie Taymor. As a Shakespeare purist, I could have done without liberties taken with the script, and zippers seemed a little out of place on Renaissance costumes. But these are quibbles. We are lucky to have such an engaging and imaginative film of The Tempest.

CESAR WENT HARD......I LITERALLY LOVE THIS MOVIE!!

**SPOILER ALERT** I would have liked this film more, perhaps if it weren't for the following: 1. The CGI treatment of the spirit Ariel is completely laughable (Particularly when runs around, also the scene with the tree). The treatment comes off as some amateurish film student trying to figure out how to use their software. 2. Russell Brand (and his mate) looks like he stepped out of the circus in the 1940's and walked into a play from the 1600's. Not only did he look out of place, but his character was completely over dramatic and obnoxious. Plus, the bit with Caliban, "the monster" was awkward and confusing... really? a fish? something does smell fishy, but probably not Caliban. Which by the way looked nothing like a monster to me. 3. The prince Ferdinand comes off as a total puss. He looks more like the nerdy check out clerk at blockbuster with his adolescent mustache and cow eyes than a dashing manly prince. And yes, I had to fast forward his song to Miranda, I was too embarrassed for him. 4. I have not yet read Shakespeare's play, the Tempest, but from a glance at an abstract of his play, Prospero is a man. Which makes more sense in the context of his body of work -- because in the majority of Shakespeare's plays that I have read, it is always the man demanding "honor" and "virtue" from their daughters (ie. Romeo and Juliet). Also, it seems unlikely that a tiny elderly woman would be able to hold such power over a muscular man like Caliban, even if she did have illustion/manipulation and a sprite on her side... 5. If Prospera was exiled for being a witch, and then basically proves herself to be a witch to the people who banished her, would they really allow her daughter to marry the prince and come back to Milan? Just saying... 6. I would have liked to see how things turned out for Caliban - it looked like his eye contact with Prospera meant something like forgiveness, but its hard to say... I mean, she socialized and educated him. You can't just leave him stranded alone on the island... This being said, I did like the following: a) Miranda, even though she seemed like a completely disconnected puppet, was adorable and i loved her outfits in the movie. b) Although Caliban looked nothing like a monster, i loved how they did his makeup/scales. c) I loved the staircase in the cell with the doorway to the sky up at the top - looked like something out of a Dali painting. d) The magic scene with the stars and constellations was awesome

Why did this movie fail with such a brilliant cast.....I really wanted to like it . I love Shakespearean remakes and thought this could be at least an interesting take.....but it fell flat.......the relationships and editing were lackluster and left me with a feeling of bleh at the end.

I'm a huge fan of the play The Tempest and I had been waiting for this movie to come out for ages and when I finally watched it….It just felt like it wasn't worth all the excitement and eager patients I was going through for months and months. The movie was good, do doubt about that. Ariel sort of disappointed me because when reading the play I imagined him to be a boy (almost looking the same as the actor) but the graphics when it came to Ariel was disappointing. But OVER ALL, it was a nice thing to watch and to bring the play to life. REALLY HOPE THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, THEY DECIDE TO REMAKE IT OR MAKE ANOTHER TEMPEST MOVIE.

The film isn't amazing that's for sure, but it did have moments that made me pause and wish for more. For example the realtionship between Prospera and Ariel, no spoilers but it will make you curious is all I'll say.

This movie has many differences to the actual Shakespeare play. If you want to watch it because you are a true devotee to Shakespeare, don't buy it. If you have never heard of The Tempest, then go ahead and see it, but be well aware: this is almost something entirely different from the true play.

Russell Brand isn't worth spending ANY money on...........