Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Joanna Mccarty Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Catherina If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

arbarnes Having just read Titus Andronicus for the first time I was eager to take a look at the 1999 film version. I found it an uplifting experience, because though the film was quite different to my own visualization of the story, it was a perfectly consistent modern take that both respected the language and construction of the original play and provided an exciting, personal interpretation –respectful of Shakespeare but true to itself. In fact, I rate it as among the best screen versions of Shakespeare's work. Perhaps because it also succeeds in balancing on a line that is purely theatrical on one side and purely cinematic on the other –so that though I often feel I am watching a film of a stage production, I never feel constrained by this, for the film is genuinely and richly cinematic. I am also extremely glad that a certain amount of restraint was shown in the direction –it could so easily have been totally overloaded with effects, forced gimmicks and gore, but here the visuals –and impressive they are– never overpower the language and the interaction between the characters.The performances are of a high level throughout, and the actors are all comfortable with the language, which is a relief because so many other "modern" versions of Shakespeare suffer from an inconsistent mixing of acting styles that distract us momentarily from the story. Here there is no attempt to slur the dialogue to make it seem "real" –it succeeds because it retains its metre and theatricality. I think Anthony Hopkins' performance is interestingly low-key and playful –the character itself is a difficult one to fully sympathize with– but Hopkins takes us down many different paths. He is both former hard general, ambitious and later grieving father, warm grandfather figure, madman, avenger –a complex character indeed. And again, the restraint in his performance says more than any rant. I also particularly like the pairing of him with Colm Feore as his brother. Alan Cumming gives a very memorable performance as the emperor –I found this character difficult to fully get hold of when I read the play, but the boldness and audacity shown by Cumming makes him very clear –and again it's never over- the-top as it so easily could be.I think it does help to know at least something of the play before seeing the film as there is no real explanation of exactly who is who to begin with and this may cause some confusion – the unravelling of characters and their relationships is equally challenging in the opening of the play, so the fault (if it can be called that) lies with Shakespeare. The whole first act is a bit of a mess –perhaps intentionally– and though we are able to work out who is who and what their relationship is to the next person, it does demand a bit of extra concentration at the beginning of the film that could perhaps have benefited from some form of narration or on- screen signing. This is, however, my only complaint –otherwise I found the film marvellous; utterly shocking, of course, but marvellously shocking!

Brent Trafton Before there was "Saw," "Hostel," and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," there was Shakespeare. Titus" is a really well made film and it is also the most repulsive film I have ever seen. SPOILERSThere is a lot of body parts cut off and out. A young woman is raped and has her tongue cut out and straw stuck into her shoulder sockets where her arms were before they cut them off. It climaxes with a women's son's being cooked into a pie and being fed to her.END SPOILERThis is not for the squeamish. On the other hand, if you like that sort of thing but think that Shakespeare isn't for you, you might like it.The acting is fine and the costumes and sets are absolutely first rate. I actually liked the surreal mixture period and modern sets and the bizarre and colorful costumes."Titus" is definitely not for everyone. Watch it at your of risk. Don't say I didn't warn you.

benjamin22 I've known about this movie for years and never got around to seeing it. Finally tonight I had the random occasion to watch it with a group of friends, some who had seen it and some who had not, all creative-type people who work in film in Los Angeles. I think most of us were expecting some kind of visually stunning masterpiece or a totally fresh creative way to do a classic story or something else that blurbs on DVDs told us. So we were obviously stunned when what we saw was an overwrought mess of bad acting and horribly dated costume design all in beautiful locations with a monotonous spew of Shakespeare lines on top, many of them poorly dubbed in.Granted I had seen some of Taymor's more recent "Across The Universe" and I hated it but I had heard stories of studio interference and Titus seemed to be considered her untarnished masterpiece. But really I was struck with how bad the whole presentation was. Obviously a lot of work went into the design and execution of the world she was creating but there was a resulting disharmony between the visuals and the dialogue. Entire scenes would progress with an endless parade of oddities and anachronisms and over top just endless words that seemed to have an abstract connection at best to what was on screen. And even in the times where there was a discernible connection the emotions of any given line or moment were so buried in the general wackiness of the actors or the "crazy" sets and costumes that they almost never hit. It honestly felt like a movie directed by an alien or robot from the future who has no comprehension of human emotions, things like why people laugh or shout or cry or jump around or fight or anything.I know that Julie Taymor is supposed to be an amazing artist and I respect that, but really it felt like the only thing even attempting to hold this mess together were her own whims and fancies. No logic was applied to the whole thing, just whatever she wanted.Of course it's just my opinion, but for my money the fresher Shakespeare adaptations are Branagh's Hamlet and Baz's Romeo and Juliet. At least in those two films they care about the language, which is really why we care about Shakespeare in the first place.

moviesleuth2 Past films have shown us a number of ways of adapting Shakespeare to film: keeping the original dialogue or adapting it for modern consumption. "Titus" does the former, but that's the only way that this film can be associated with any other efforts to bring Shakespeare's work to the screen. Some film's, like Franco Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet" keep the traditional 15th century setting, while others, such as Tim Blake Nelson's "O" elect to tell the story in a more contemporary setting. Julie Taymor's "Titus" does neither. Taymor mixes a number of different settings, blends it all together, and runs it on overdrive. The result is some sort of deranged nightmare that could only have come from the lady who stunned Broadway audiences with her daring and bizarre vision of "The Lion King." Anyone who's seen that has only a little idea of what to expect.Describing the plot of "Titus" takes some time, and in doing so I will give away some of the surprises. Let me just say that this is a bloody and twisted tale of murder and revenge, a story that only Shakespeare himself could have come up with.The acting isn't just good, it's OUTSTANDING! It is so rare these days to see a film with a really good performance, but when every single performance is Oscar-worthy, it is a film that must be seen.Anthony Hopkins is the modern-day Laurence Olivier; no one can do Shakespeare in the movies like he can. Titus is a bombastic man who becomes bitterly vengeful against those who have wronged him. Hopkins tackles the character with relish, and he's a sight to see. From the soliloquies to the bouts of rage, Hopkins never ceases to amaze. His nemesis, Tamora, is ably played by Jessica Lange. She wants revenge against Titus for killing her son, and no act of villainy is beyond her capacity. Titus is about to find out what happens when you cross her, and it ain't a pretty sight. However, the one who really pulls the strings in this bloody drama is not Tamora, but her lover, Aaron (Harry Lennix). Aaron is pure evil, and he relishes in it. Lennix radiates this malevolence, and brings to life what has to be one of Shakespeare's most vicious creations. Alan Cumming brings his usual bizarre antics to the Emperor Saturninus. Cumming is known for his off-the-wall characters, and that suits the character well. However, Cumming does not take Saturninus over-the-top, which is to the film's benefit. Colm Feore is good as Marcus, Titus' brother, and Laura Fraser exudes innocence as Lavinia. Angus MacFayden is terrific as Titus' son, Lucius. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Matthew Rhys are fun to watch as Demetrius and Chiron, Tamora's stupid and sadistic sons.Taymor lifts the dialogue right from Shakespeare's original script. In order to enjoy "Titus," it is crucial to have an affinity for the language. Anyone who doesn't like reading Shakespeare or seeing his plays would probably want to avoid this one.A full-length production of one of Shakespeare's plays lasts a good three or four hours, so at 2:42, it is obvious that in adapting the play, Taymor cut a lot out. The result is a very streamlined version of the play (which I have not read), but it is for the most part perfectly coherent.Speaking of Taymor, her vision of the play must be mentioned. The only director that I can think of that nears her imagination is Tarsem (The Cell, The Fall). Tarsem's a little more out there, but Taymor is not far behind. Bold, bizarre, and visually arresting, Taymor never lets this film become boring. However, her handling of the material is not flawless. The dream sequences are not well-integrated (in fact, they could have been left out entirely), and the last scenes are poorly handled."Titus" gets a hearty recommendation, and is a must-see for any Shakespeare buff.Note: Taymor was forced to make cuts to the film's orgy scene, but not any of the violence. Apparently, sex and nudity are still taboo with the MPAA, even if it is historically accurate (and was more than mentioned 600 years ago), but violence of any kind still gets the "A-OK." There's nothing here that earns such a restrictive rating. Actually, most of the violence is merely mentioned, and not shown. Had the film gotten a PG-13 rating, you would not hear a complaint from me.