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Movies / On DVD / Hamlet
Hamlet

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Hamlet (1996)

94%
79%
88%
N/A
N/A
N/A
94 %
Reviews Counted: 53 Fresh: 50  Rotten:3 Average Rating: 8.1/10
 
Consensus: Kenneth Branagh's sprawling, finely textured adaptation of Shakespeare's masterpiece lives up to its source material, using strong performances and a sharp cinematic focus to create a powerfully resonant film that wastes none of its 246 minutes.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 4 hrs 26 mins

Synopsis: Director Kenneth Branagh returns to Shakespeare following his ground-breaking HENRY V and whimsical production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. This classic tale tells the story of Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh), the prince of Denmark, a man suffering from grief at the death of his father, the king.... Director Kenneth Branagh returns to Shakespeare following his ground-breaking HENRY V and whimsical production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. This classic tale tells the story of Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh), the prince of Denmark, a man suffering from grief at the death of his father, the king. His mother (Julie Christie) has quickly married Claudius (Derek Jacobi), Hamlet's uncle, who now reigns as the new king. Late one night Hamlet is visited by his father's ghost, who comes to tell him that Claudius poisoned him in his garden to win the crown, and that Hamlet, as his son, must now avenge his death. The prince's course of action sets the wheels of this great tragedy in motion, as the corruption of the Danish court begins to engulf everyone around it, including, finally, Hamlet himself. Branagh has assembled a stellar cast (including Kate Winslet, Billy Crystal, and Robin Williams) for this titanic enterprise, which presents HAMLET in its four hour entirety. Shot in 70-millimeter film, Branagh's HAMLET takes on the epic sweep associated with the films of Cecil B. DeMille or David Lean. By restoring Shakespeare's tragedy to its full length, Branagh has created a film of striking size and scope. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Charlton Heston, Derek Jacobi, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Composer: Patrick Doyle
Story: William Shakespeare
Screenwriter: Kenneth Branagh
Producer: David Barron

DVD Info

Release:

Aug 14, 2007

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Widescreen - 2.40

Audio:

  • Dolby Surround 5.1 English

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Ratings Image
3/4

Simply gorgeous to look at, and a number of the performances are outstanding...

Full Review | comment Comment
07/02/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Ratings Image
3/5

Brave, yes, but undeniably excessive.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/02/08
Channel 4 Film
Ratings Image
5/5

Die-hard Bard students may quibble, but this gargantuan and glorious Hamlet is a movie-lover's paradise.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/17/07
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
9/10

...four hours go by quickly when you're having fun. It's a class act all the way.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/25/07
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
Ratings Image
N/A

Branagh has one-upped Olivier again by making his Hamlet a bold spectacle: big and loud and colorful.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/16/07
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Ratings Image
4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
08/14/07
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
Ratings Image
5/5

Fine version of one of The Bard's best plays.

comment Comment
12/08/06
Steve Crum
Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers
Ratings Image
B

If you're willing to sit through Branah's 4-hour Hamlet, you'll be rewarded with a lavishly mounted, full-bodied version that brings new dimensions to the time-honored play, done before by Olivier (among others) in a 1948 Oscar-winning film.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/15/06
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Ratings Image
3/5

No review available.

comment Comment
06/19/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Ratings Image
4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
09/23/04
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Ratings Image
5/5

No review available.

comment Comment
08/27/04
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Ratings Image
4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
08/25/04
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly
Ratings Image
4/5

The few missteps, mostly in casting, are a drop in the bucket when it comes to this adaptation.

comment Comment
07/14/04
Widgett Walls
Needcoffee.com
Ratings Image
7/10

Viewers patient enough to sit through four hours of this film are going to be rewarded with a memorable experience.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/01/04
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews
Ratings Image
5/5

No review available.

comment Comment
04/21/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Ratings Image
4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
01/12/04
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central
Ratings Image
4.5/5

La cinta de Branagh evitó rescatar momentos cumbres y optó por dar fuerza al guión original.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/12/04
Alex Ramirez
Cinenganos
Ratings Image
4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
06/20/03
Michael Szymanski
Zap2it.com
Ratings Image
5/5

A great film; a timeless epic.

comment Comment
04/10/03
Jeffrey M. Anderson
San Francisco Examiner
Ratings Image
3/5

No review available.

comment Comment
01/07/03
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
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