RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Hamlet
Hamlet

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Hamlet (1996)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
94 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:52

Fresh:49

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.

Runtime: 4 hrs 26 mins

Genre: Dramas

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... 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]

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

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Charlton Heston, Derek Jacobi, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, John Gielgud, Rosemary Harris

Director: Kenneth Branagh

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

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Aug 14, 2007

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Hamlet

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/02/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Brave, yes, but undeniably excessive.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
07/02/08
Channel 4 Film

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

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/17/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

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

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
08/25/07
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

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

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
08/16/07
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

No review available.

comment Comment
08/14/07
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

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

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

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 Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
07/15/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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

No review available.

comment Comment
08/27/04
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

comment Comment
08/25/04
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

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
Widgett Walls
Needcoffee.com

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

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
06/01/04
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
04/21/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
01/12/04
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

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

Full Review Source: Cinenganos | comment Comment
01/12/04
Alex Ramirez
Alex Ramirez
Cinenganos

No review available.

comment Comment
06/20/03
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Zap2it.com

A great film; a timeless epic.

comment Comment
04/10/03
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
San Francisco Examiner

No review available.

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

There are many ... instances when you want to run screaming from Elsinore Castle.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
09/25/02
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
77% 77% The Hangover
88% 88% Inglourious Basterds
66% 66% Public Enemies
24% 24% G-Force
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
82% 82% Paranormal Activity
58% 58% 9
44% 44% Jennifer's Body
58% 58% A Perfect Getaway
62% 62% Carriers

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

Best of the Decade

Best of the Decade

Find out what movies made our list!

Awards Tour

Awards Tour

Stay up on the latest awards and noms!

Sex and The City 2

Sex and The City 2

Friendship, fashion, and fun in one trailer!

Box Office

Box Office

See Sherlock? Rate and review it!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Star Trek Tops 2009's Most-Pirated Movies List Source: Hollywood Reporter
11
  • Weekly Ketchup: Peter Jackson's Secret Sci-Fi Project
105
  • New Toy Story 3 Clip, Photos Posted Source: Slashfilm
26
  • Danny Trejo Talks Machete, Possible Sequels Source: Collider.com
14
  • It's Official: Jackass 3-D Coming in 2010 Source: Collider.com
16
  • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
102
  • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
1
  • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
19
  • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
32
  • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
28
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • RT's Best of the Decade!
167
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar, Sherlock, and Alvin Team Up To Break Records
167
  • Total Recall: Jude Law's Best Movies
57
  • Weekly Ketchup: Peter Jackson's Secret Sci-Fi Project
35
  • Critics Consensus: Sherlock Holmes Is Worth Investigating
33
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: District 9 and (500) Days of Summer
32
  • Friday Harvest: Sherlock Holmes, Toy Story 3, and more!
10
  • What We're Watching on Blu-ray from Disney!
9
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
72
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
24
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
16
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
24
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Hamlet at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
Best Dozen of the Decade
Best Dozen of the Decade External Link

Last week, MSN gave us their top 09 films. Now see what their favorites of the decade are!

Top 50 of 2009
Top 50 of 2009 External Link

Here's a list of the 50 best movies of 2009, according to the good people over at Moviefone.

Santa's Naughty List
Santa's Naughty List External Link

Hollywood.com takes a stab at determining who in movies will be on Santa's naughty list in 2009.

Top 10 Movies of 2009
Top 10 Movies of 2009 External Link

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Top 20 of the Decade
Top 20 of the Decade External Link

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo
About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Press | Careers
IGN | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | Direct2Drive | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Game Sites | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | GIGA.DE | What They Play | Battlefield Heroes
By continuing past this page, and by your continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. | Support | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! RSS Feeds
IGN’s enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA.
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.