Much Ado About Nothing 2013

A.O. Scott, New York Times: From its very first scenes, Mr. Whedon's film crackles with a busy, slightly wayward energy that recalls the classic romantic sparring of the studio era. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: I'd be pressed to imagine a more sure-footed Much Ado. When Shakespeare's done right, you can't imagine him ever being done wrong. The clarity is blinding. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: The joyous spirit of the play has been preserved in this modest, homegrown production. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Though Whedon's trimmed the play down, to make it an appropriate movie length, he's kept the dialogue intact, and the pleasure the cast gets in saying the lines is palpable. Read more

A.A. Dowd, AV Club: The performances are strong enough ... to almost completely compensate for the tossed-off nature of the movie, which basically amounts to a bunch of close friends getting together to stage a reading. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: No matter what movie or television show he is making, Whedon is a master of wit, of clever wordplay that doesn't just entertain but crackles with knowing energy. Read more

Jake Coyle, Associated Press: Moviegoers will likely have few better options this summer for a good romantic comedy. Read more

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader: This fast and loose independent production is enjoyable as a home movie, but not much more. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Finally! A romantic comedy that works. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: I enjoyed Whedon's film both as a species of stunt and also as a legitimately entertaining entry in the voluminous Shakespeare adaptation sweepstakes. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: A delightful mix of the modern and the Elizabethan, a sort of do-it-yourself re-imagination of a true comic classic. Read more

Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly: The film isn't as fast and funny as it could be, although Nathan Fillion's easily offended constable injects some sorely needed comic relief. Still, give Whedon credit for trying to expose his Comic-Con fan base to a different kind of Hero. Read more

John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: A host of Whedon veterans puts on one of the funniest Shakespeare films in ages. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Joss Whedon's "Much Ado About Nothing" is both a palate cleanser for the director and a small but savory treat for Shakespeare-starved audiences. Read more

Karen D'Souza, San Jose Mercury News: A slick, postmodern "Much Ado" that delights so much it's very nearly as you like it. Read more

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: Much Ado About Nothing couldn't look more different than Branagh's traditional version, and yet its big-hearted spirit is equal to the task of celebrating a classic while highlighting the reasons to remake it. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Everyone acquits him or herself charmingly, and with a deep appreciation for why Shakespeare travels well, and in defiance of those who would dismiss him as dusty. The fact is, he's writing about us. It's as simple as that, and Whedon well knows it. Read more

Anthony Lane, New Yorker: The movie swings along, with a grace denied to some of Whedon's grander projects ... Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: It's a slight but smart, sweet but guiltless celebration. Kind of like what making it must have been for a director exhausted from months of wrangling a herd of superheroes. Read more

Linda Holmes, NPR: A project this simple would be nowhere without the actors, and Whedon gets fine work out of just about everybody. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: "Much Ado About Nothing" is an absolute delight, as merry as the day is long. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Joss Whedon's fresh and cheeky adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing" is a minor miracle - the first filmed Shakespeare comedy in decades that's actually funny. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: Rarely has wisdom been more joyous than in this supple contemporary version of William Shakespeare's seminal comedy. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: There's no fire, and where their lines should ricochet with wit, they just spill forth, affably. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The most interesting aspect of Much Ado about Nothing is that it illustrates Whedon's ability to make a movie that relies exclusively on performances and dialogue. Read more

Sheila O'Malley, Chicago Sun-Times: The magic holds. It holds from beginning to end. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Whedon, without skimping on the tale's tragic undercurrents, has crafted an irresistible blend of mirth and malice. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: It definitely possesses that Whedon-esque nerdy energy, fizzing with humor, eroticism, booze and more than a hint of danger. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: This Much Ado About Nothing-while perhaps not an adaptation for the ages in every respect-is as bracingly effervescent as picnic champagne. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: It's like watching a gang of talented people put on a show in a friend's back yard. Which it is, actually. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Won't please every fan of the Bard (or "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), but ... could inspire a debate as lively as the play itself. Read more

Nell Minow, Chicago Sun-Times: Joss Whedon's take on Shakespeare's classic tale is swanky, sexy and sophisticated, as bracing as a dry martini poured from a silver shaker on a summer night. Read more

Michael Posner, Globe and Mail: Whedon's Ado is a parlour version of the play, shot in black and white, with documentary intimacy. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: While Acker successfully portrays a woman too smart and too strong to be shoved to the altar, Denisof never matches her fire. Without a Benedick that is up to her level, the inequity between the leads sinks the movie. Read more

Keith Uhlich, Time Out: The movie feels like too much of a lark. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Much Ado About Nothing is a delightfully spirited romp, filled with visual splendor, strong performances and flashes of post-modern absurdity. Read more

Chris Packham, Village Voice: With its interrogations of gender, feminism, and marriage, Shakespeare's comedy is an apt vehicle for Whedon's own storytelling agenda. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: Whedon finds unexpected meaning in this famously saucy "skirmish of wit," the opposites-attract story upon which myriad modern-day rom-coms have sprung. Read more