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A Midsummer Night's Dream (Widescreen) | 
| Director: Michael Hoffman
Actors: Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Stanley Tucci, Anna Friel
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 11.98
Buy New: CDN$ 6.26
You Save: CDN$ 5.72 (48%)
New (17) Used (8) from CDN$ 5.99
Rating:  107 reviews
Sales Rank: 4336
Format: Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD4112308D
ISBN: 6305622876
UPC: 086162123085
EAN: 9786305622871
ASIN: 6305622876
Theatrical Release Date: May 14, 1999
Release Date: April 15, 2003
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW - Shipped within 24 hrs via Airmail from the USA - Average 5 to 10 workdays delivery time. Excellent customer service. NEUF - Envoy? par avion des USA sous 24 hrs - Livraison en moyenne de 5 a 10 jours ouvres. Service clientele en francais.
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| Editorial Reviews:
From Amazon.com
Imagine a work by Shakespeare reduced to one of those pretty, glossy coffee-table picture books that have only a dollop of text alongside its sumptuous photographs, and you might have Michael Hoffman's adaptation of IA Midsummer Night's Dream/I. This all-star version of Shakespeare's comedy is gorgeously shot in Tuscany, complete with a magical forest, breathtaking landscapes, beautiful villas, picturesque villages, stunning period costumes--oh wait, there's supposed to be a Istory/I here, too! Hoffman hijacks Shakespeare's basic premise but doesn't instill it with much more than surface shine and transplants it to turn-of-the-century Italy. Ergo, it's left up to the actors to find the heart and soul of this classic play, in which the fairies of the forest play mix and match with four young lovers, courtesy of a magical love potion. Hoffman couldn't ask for better (or better looking) actors to play Shakespeare's dreamlike love games--Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Christian Bale, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline, Anna Friel, Dominic West, the list goes on and on--but he sure as heck doesn't know what to do with them, aside from putting them in various states of undress. Only Flockhart (as the lovestruck Helena), Tucci (a sprightly Puck), Pfeiffer (dazzling and funny as the queen of the fairies), and especially the sublime Kline (as weaver-turned-donkey Bottom) seem to connect with their characters in ways that make this adaptation occasionally soar; the rest are inexplicably left to flounder. Hoffman does seem to set himself right with the film's climax, when Bottom's amateur acting troupe hilariously enacts the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe (it helps that the troupe includes Roger Rees, Sam Rockwell, and Bill Irwin). Those searching for a more in-depth exploration of Shakespeare's farce might do better to look elsewhere, but if it's gorgeous actors and scenery you're in the mood for (along with an evocative opera soundtrack), and an all's-well-that-ends-well ending, this IMidsummer Night/I will give you pleasant if weightless dreams. I--Mark Englehart/I
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| Customer Reviews: Read 102 more reviews...
Not perfect, but certainly worth watching July 16, 2004
The Kumbric Witch
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
To make Shakespeare accessible, you have to make it entertaining. Not just entertaining to those who already know and love his work, but entertaining to those who have never picked up a Folger edition of anything in their lives. pI teach English to teenagers. Teenagers, who gasp in horror at the mention of Shakespeare. Teenagers, with their 30 second attention spans, faulty grasp of the modern English they supposedly speak, and affection for the physical comedy of the likes of Jackass.pSo, how do we make teenagers like Shakespeare? We edit. So, naturally, some of the best speeches are missing or drastically shortened (remember, 30 second attention spans); the physical, often silly humor is accented; and the women mud wrestle. So what?pThis movie is entertaining. At times, it is enchanting. It is fast-paced, visually interesting, and funny. The emphasis is shifted away from the complexities of the language because it is the language, the very thing we love about Shakespeare, that makes these plays inaccessible to the majority of the American movie audience. pI use this film because it is easy to understand. The actors have faces my students recognize, and it gets them excited about Shakespeare.pWhat this film does is to put the content of the play within the grasp of its modern audience. Shakespeare himself would have done no less.
 Kline and Flockhart shine!!! March 2, 2004
D. Knouse (vancouver, washington United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
3.5 stars. This is a moderately enjoyable Shakespearean comedy with only two stand-out performances. Calista Flockhart, of "Ally McBeal" fame, shows here that her range and understanding of the poetic language of Shakespear is both impressive and fluent. She steals every scene she is in. Speaking of scene-stealing, Kevin Kline, a veteran of the stage and Shakespearean theater, has the best performance here. He hams up the goofyness of his character and makes him ultimately hilarious and endearing. Many of the other actors are merely okay. Michelle Pfeiffer, often a great actress, seems to struggle here. She sounds like she understands iambic pentameter well, but fails to emote any feeling behind the words; except for her scenes with Kevin Kline, she is simply mediocre. Also, the character of Puck, played by Stanley Tucci, is traditionally portrayed as more mischievous and problem-causing than the lap-dog of Oberon as he is portrayed here. All in all, this is certainly above par, with great costumes and fine sets and scenery. It just doesn't come together as a whole. This film is fun in moments, but eventually feels incomplete.
 A Comedy With Spare Humor February 22, 2004
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The most telling scene in this film is the rustic play-within-a-play at the wedding reception of Theseseus and Hippolyta. Because it is the last scene in the play, it is very important. However, director Michael Hoffman chose to make it very impotent. While the premise is that amateur actors are making a mess of their performance, coming where it does in the structure of the play (or a film,) it must be tremendously entertaining. Traditionally this is accomplished with inventive direction and outrageous comedy performances by the acting squad playing the amateur actors. Because the play has been performed for 400 years, there is much in that tradition to draw upon. However, Hoffman tossed off this vital scene with sparce creativity, sluggish pacing, and minimal distant camera angles. He further pulled the brake on any comedy tempo he might have otherwise developed by instructing us that the mock death of Thisbe can be poignant! He included several shots of his principals in the wedding reception audience dabbing at tears. That's not comedy and it's a bizarre choice. This film is not funny and worse, it is not fun. The film is put together so mechanically and humorlessly, that it's difficult to imagine why the production principals wanted to make this film at all. Perhaps they saw an opportunity to throw in the handful of ..... jokes.
Mediocre February 16, 2004
Noelle Eiram (Vermont, United States)
Surprisingly unentertaining. Perhaps it was because I was not in a jolly mood when I watched this. This film version of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' simply does not capture the verve of a play. Obviously, this is in film format, but not much - other than dazzling scenery, costumes, music, and change of setting - have been added. One would think these additions were a dramatic improvement. Instead, they seem to conceal a fairly sloppy Shakespeare production. Subtelty could have been used to a greater extent. This movie is somewhere between a decent theatre production and a good film.pRegarding acting (which I consider the most vital part of a Shakespeare presentation), it was only adequate. Kevin Kline was a surprisingly good Shakespearian actor. His Bottom was less obnoxious than I had previously seen. Stanley Tucci, as Puck, was one of the better actors in the play. I only wish he were in it more. Dominic West was a solid Lysander; Anna Friel, Hermia, faired as well as West. Rupert Everett was a fine Oberon, though the softness of his voice got old (my only criticism), and John Sessions shined in his tiny role as Philostrate.pMichelle Pfeiffer was okay as Titania. She was gorgeous, and is obviously a capable actress, but her drawn out voice became a bit too sing song for my taste. Calista Flockhart was a passable Helena. Christian Bale (Demetrius), was disappointing - expressionless, and his lines were not believable. The mechanicals were touching and well acted. Theseus (David Strathairn) was particularly bad, and the little time Sophie Marceau did have as Hippolyta was not memorable. Bernard Hill was a decent Egeus. pSomehow I always imagined Bottom as a bachelor. However, this change added to the different portrayal of Bottom as a sympathetic character. Also, the play at the end lost just a whit of its humorous impact by having the audience laugh. If they had not laughed, though, viewers of the movie simply would have felt sorry for Bottom and his gang.pPerhaps three stars is a harsh rating for a Shakespeare production. After all, this had a great script (though beloved parts were expectedly eliminated), and the acting was not terrible. I just felt that the actors did not have the charisma or the lovers the chemistry to carry off an already unbelievable story when this time there is a screen between the audience and them.
 Poor Will gets ripped off again December 29, 2003
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A Midsummer Nightmare; Trashy piece with stars and no substance. No surprise that Kevin Kline (fine actor) panders his talent to the highest bidder. The other stars should also be embarassed. james a. sullivan
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