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Movies / On DVD / A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream

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A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)

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Reviews Counted:74

Fresh:50

Rotten:24

Average Rating:6.3/10

Consensus: Faultless production and shining performances display the Bard's talent propitiously.

Runtime: 2 hrs

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Michael Hoffman's film adaptation of Shakespeare's magical comedy of a love-tangled quadrangle shimmers with sumptuous cinematography and a truly stellar cast that includes Kevin Kline, Michelle... Michael Hoffman's film adaptation of Shakespeare's magical comedy of a love-tangled quadrangle shimmers with sumptuous cinematography and a truly stellar cast that includes Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stanley Tucci, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, and Sam Rockwell. Relocated from Athens to an Italian villa, the film follows the romantic misadventures of four would-be lovers; at the beginning of the film Helena loves Demetrius who loves Hermia who loves Lysander, but all of that undergoes a change when the four young people chase each other into the woods and wander into the domain of Oberon and Titania (King and Queen of the Fairies), and the mischievous magic of Puck who possesses a flower that causes people to fall in love with the first person they encounter. Into the hilarity and confusion stumble a hapless band of laborers rehearsing a play for the Duke's wedding. One of the band, Nick Bottom, a humble weaver, is given the head of donkey and then, through the power of the flower, wins the love of Titania herself. After a dizzying whirl of magic, mayhem, and a million minor follies of the heart, everything is sorted out and everyone finds, at last, their match. [More]

Starring: Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart

Starring: Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Stanley Tucci, Anna Friel, Christian Bale, Dominic West, David Strathairn, Sophie Marceau, Roger Rees, Bernard Hill, Bill Irwin, Sam Rockwell, John Sessions, Max Wright, Gregory Jbara

Director: Michael Hoffman

Director: Michael Hoffman
Story: William Shakespeare
Producer: Leslie Urdang
Composer: Simon Boswell

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Aug 5, 2008

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • A stellar cast, headed by Michelle Pfeiffer and Kevin Kline, bring Shakespeare's romantic comedy to life. When two pairs of star-crossed lovers, a feuding pair of supernatural sprites and a love potion gone awry all come together in an enchanted moonlit forest, the result is a delightful mix of merriment and magic. Also starring Calista Flockhart, Stanley Tucci and Rupert Everett.
  • Source: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
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    Reviews for A Midsummer Night's Dream

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    41 - 60 (sorted by date)
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    A funny, thoughtful, easy to follow and lovely to see!

    Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Jack Garner
    Jack Garner
    Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

    Sufficiently contemporary and fresh!

    Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    James Berardinelli
    James Berardinelli
    ReelViews
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    This Midsummer Night's Dream shows how high the bar has been raised by Shakespeare in Love. The allure and cleverness of that film, not to mention its far more Shakespearean spirit, make it a hard act for a hodgepodge to follow.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Janet Maslin
    Janet Maslin
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Dangles uncertainly between mannerly devotion to Big Will and susceptibility to a recent cinematic pandemic, the update.

    Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Jessica Winter
    Jessica Winter
    Village Voice

    A well-crafted film!

    Full Review Source: Norman Transcript | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Jim Chastain
    Jim Chastain
    Norman Transcript

    The story itself just isn't that exciting or, for that matter, very interesting to mainstream viewers.

    Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Jim Judy
    Jim Judy
    Screen It!

    Funny and sexy!

    Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Jonathan Foreman
    Jonathan Foreman
    New York Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Overheated, tedious!

    Full Review Source: Mr. Showbiz | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Kevin Maynard
    Kevin Maynard
    Mr. Showbiz
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Sunny, fast and funny!

    comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Lawrence Toppman
    Lawrence Toppman
    Charlotte Observer

    The film is sweet. It is often amusing. It is only the teensiest bit dull.

    Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Liz Braun
    Liz Braun
    Jam! Movies

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Cinematter | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Madeleine Williams
    Madeleine Williams
    Cinematter

    Quite faithful to the original material and, as such, considerably less jarring than efforts like Baz Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo Juliet.

    Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Maitland McDonagh
    Maitland McDonagh
    Film Journal International

    In spite of the cast, this is a competent but unexceptional version of one of Shakespeare's more popular plays.

    Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Mark R. Leeper
    Mark R. Leeper
    rec.arts.movies.reviews

    It may not change your life, but for an afternoon you will be entertained.

    Full Review Source: Movie Habit | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Marty Mapes
    Marty Mapes
    Movie Habit

    Playfully sexy fun...

    Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    MaryAnn Johanson
    MaryAnn Johanson
    Flick Filosopher

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Matt's Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Matt Easterbrook
    Matt Easterbrook
    Matt's Movie Reviews

    Kline is so comfortable with Shakespearean language that viewers may forget they are hearing literature and simply enjoy Kline's revels.

    Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Melissa Morrison
    Melissa Morrison
    Boxoffice Magazine

    It is the timeless appeal of those words, the impassioned performances, and a bring-down-the-house third act that make this high-spirited production live up to its title.

    Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Michael Dequina
    Michael Dequina
    TheMovieReport.com

    Sparkling with moonbeams and wit!

    comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Michael Wilmington
    Michael Wilmington
    Chicago Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Nell Minow
    Nell Minow
    Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
     
     
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