Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

paul2001sw-1 Recently, I watched, and loved, the seven BBC adaptations of Shakespeare's plays about the Wars of the Roses. By contrast, this film of 'The Tempest' is poor fayre. Partly it's because of actors who seem ill-equipped for speaking Shakespearian lines: Russell Brand is the most obvious target, though the truth is that several cast members seems almost equally bad (Helen Mirren, though, and Alfred Mollina, are predictably good). Perhaps it's because of the film's arbitrary and inconsistent use of special effects and it's back-and-forwards transitioning between Tudor orthodoxy and a more modern staging: both approaches can work with Shakespeare, but this one just seems a mess. But maybe the bard too deserves some stick: there are some famous lines ("Oh brave new world, that has such people in it!") but the plot is pretty simple: Prospero (or, in this re-gendered version, Prospera) gets her revenge on her enemies through the deployment of supernatural devices: her hapless foes never stand a chance. Shakespeare's customary tendency to punch down with his humour is also on display: for all his literary brilliance, a lot of Shakespearian comedy takes the form of, in effect, chav jokes. Maybe there's something more in the script that got lost in adaptation. But this really isn't the bard at his best.

jacqueestorozynski I am not a fan of male characters in Shakespeare being played by women, although it is only fair when you remember that when first written, all parts were played by men. However, I thought Helen Mirren did a brilliant and believable piece of work. At least the text had been adapted to reinforce the fact that she was female and we weren't expected to believe that she was Prospero and not Prospera. I thoroughly enjoyed this screen adaptation and although scenes that I looked forward to were cut out e.g., the Goddesses at the feast, the CGI was very clever. I thought that it was a mistake to make the casting of Caliban an African man, although he was disguised with scales and what looked like vertiligo. The purists see this play as about man's fear of anything different,(the other) and this plays into the post colonial criticisms by making the man black. Although Ben Wishaw did a sterling job as Ariel, it was a bit disconcerting to see his thin body running around naked. Especially at the beginning when he had to lie about with his leg discretely crossed in case he revealed anything he shouldn't. However, having acted in this play and seen several versions this was one of the best.

vchimpanzee From the very start, I could not follow this movie. It just happened to be on, and while I did tape it, I had to watch everything because too much stuff would have to be deleted quickly otherwise.Rewinding didn't help. I couldn't follow the ancient dialogue. I just had to do my best and hope I could figure out what was going on.I finally concluded that Helen Mirren was playing some kind of witch and the pretty girl was her daughter.The shipwrecked men were rescued in a miraculous way--not even getting their clothes wet.The naked spirit worked for Mirren's character. The weird-looking black man was some kind of servant.I finally found something I could enjoy as Stephano and Trinculo showed up. There was something modern about these drunk morons, Even some of their clothes looked modern, and I couldn't help but wonder if Shakespeare had really written their dialogue. If so, he really was a genius. And because he loved the liquor they gave him, the man-fish I later found out was Caliban wanted to meet their every need. Somehow these drunk idiots seemed out of place in Shakespeare, even turning the magnificent Caliban into a moron, but they worked for me.The romance involving the daughter didn't do much for me.Mirren's performance, whether it meant anything to me, was nothing less than magnificent. Powerful at times, gentle at others, alternating between cruel and forgiving.Djimon Hounsou also gave a powerful performance, though he could be funny too. Once he ended up with the two jokers, I couldn't help but think something was lacking in his style. But he was making me happy for a change, so I can't fault him.One thing I really didn't care for was the music. Some of it was rock, and some of it was just plain weird. None of it existed in Shakespeare's time, but I guess if they couldn't make the dialogue modern, they could do it with the music.Whether I liked it or not, it was mostly a worthy effort.

TheLittleSongbird The Tempest is a wonderful but complicated play, and while I can understand the reactions of those who disliked it, I thoroughly enjoyed this one who I saw for the treasure that is Helen Mirren. It is not perfect, there are times where the delivery was a little too garbled or fast and Russell Brand gives a performance so lacking in subtlety that he did seem out of place to me. However, Helen Mirren is as ever magnificent as Prospera, with a commanding presence, intense delivery and sense of character and an urging sense of bitterness. Felicity Jones is an excellent Miranda, David Strathairn's Alonso is magnetic and Dijimon Hounsou is a Caliban that is both terrifying and sympathetic. Alfred Molina and Chris Cooper prove themselves to be scene-stealers, Ben Whishaw is an effective Ariel who as a spirit looks wonderful and Alan Cumming plays it straight and is good at it no matter how strange it initially is. Julie Taymor's direction is compelling and creative, especially in the character relationships, you feel the spiritual connection between Ariel and Prospera, the sadness of Caliban and Prospera's sorrowful weariness at the end and the idea to have Caliban as Prospera's shadow self was convincing. The visuals are spectacular, right from the palaces, towers, columns and the scenery itself helped by well-above average effects and sweeping cinematography. The dialogue is as poetic and witty as ever, and while some may find the rock music jarring, while it is not my kind of music, it did give some energetic flavour to the songs. All in all, not a movie that everybody is going to like, but while not perfect I thoroughly enjoyed it. 8/10 Bethany Cox