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Amazon.co.uk Review
Stark colors and textures dominate The Tempest, a cinematic adaptation of the classic play by William Shakespeare, directed by acclaimed theater maverick Julie Taymor (whose other films include Titus and Frida). The ever-magnificent Helen Mirren (The Queen, Red) plays the usually male role of the magician Prospera, the duchess of Milan, who was exiled to an island with her daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones), where she has two magical servants: the mercurial spirit Ariel (Ben Whishaw, Bright Star) and the sullen, lumpen Caliban (Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond). Prospera conjures up the storm of the title and brings ashore a ship full of her former peers, including the king of Naples (David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck), the king's son Ferdinand (Reeve Carney), and Prospera's brother (Chris Cooper, Adaptation), who usurped her position in Milan. Treachery, regret, and romance follow. The Tempest has the weaknesses of the original play; there's much talk of rebellion but nothing really happens--Miranda and Ferdinand fall in love, Caliban gets drunk with a couple of clownish shipwrecked men (Alfred Molina, Spider-Man 2, and Russell Brand, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), and Ariel bewitches and bedazzles the king and his retinue… all of which comes to a tidy and too easy conclusion. Taymor whips up plenty of visual razzle-dazzle, some of which is lovely and some of which is trying too hard. But the strength of The Tempest is some gorgeous poetry, and Mirren handles that language with impeccable clarity and power. --Bret Fetzer
DVD Description
This modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s final masterpiece is an exciting, mystical and magical fantasy with Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren (Best Actress, The Queen, 2006) leading a star-studded cast including Russell Brand (Get Him To The Greek) and Alfred Molina (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). Exiled to a magical island, the sorceress Prospera (Mirren) conjures up a storm that shipwrecks her enemies, and then unleashes her powers for revenge. Directed by the visionary Julie Taymor — and complete with exclusive bonus features — The Tempest, with its innovative twist, is a supernatural dramedy filled with Shakespearean villains, lovers and fools that will leave you spellbound.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Oooops ...... looks like we are going to get very diverse views here, take your pick I guess. Do understand the previous review to a degree, I'm not usually taken with Shakespeare being mucked around with too much and The Tempest is my favourite Shakespeare, but found this production both refreshing and entertaining - even with Russell Brand in it - well done Julie Taymor. Found Helen Mirren cast as Prospera (Prospero) a very clever move, nice take, got my attention anyway - honestly was a bit sceptical about this but it really worked well, she was magnificent. Loved the CGI effects for Ariel, liked Caliban lots, great setting.Well worth a watch if you can just accept something a bit different, a nice entertaining interpretation on Shakespeare's lovely fantasy! I keep coming back here waiting for the dvd as I really want to see it again.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
What a splendid rendition of the tempest with such a wild and wondeful cast. As with so many Shakespeare plays that have no place or time this one goes all the way for modern visual effects and there are plenty. I wasnt at all bothered by the transition from Prospero to Prospera which Mirren played. She did her best to make it cold but sadly missed a lot of the calculating although I quite looked the outside looking in approach.She had the material magic but didnt quite frighten her prey as much as I would have liked but the diction and enunciation were impecable. All of the rest of the cast did an excellent job also but the main star was the location. It really was a mythical dessert island like you had never seen or known. The atmosphere was very much Lord of the Rings style adding to the pace. All the comic and clown parts were top grade too. A particular hats off to Russell Brand. He really gave it all he'd got. I believe it was Shakespeare's last play and I think he, like many great artists, was trying to break new, other worldly ground. I always like to think of Prospero/as' setting free of Ariel rather like the Bard saying goodbye to his life long muse.This is a must for any avid Shakespeare collector.
30 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Let me say right off: I am a total Bardolator. I teach Shakespeare, I am obsessed with Shakespeare, I have read and seen all the plays, and my love affair with the Bard began with seeing a live performance of The Tempest in 1975. It was pure magic. I also love movies, and I believe that in the 21st century, filmed versions of Shakespeare's plays are probably the best way to reach the widest audience. The sneers and sniffs of snobs aside, I am convinved that if Will were alive today, he'd be writing movie screenplays (or even television), NOT stage plays, which today tend to be aimed at a narrow, elite, theatre-going audience.
As a literature professor who has been teaching The Tempest for a decade now, I have always been singularly bemused by the lack of a filmed version that really captures the magical spirit of the play. The old TV Richard Burton show is well-acted but silly, the BBC version has great actors but terrible, flat production values, Prospero's Books is brilliant but incomprehensible to all but those who know the play intimately, Derek Jarman's version is terribly dated and, despite being a good "film," just doesn't work as The Tempest, in my opinion. The other, "scholastic" releases are plagued by poor production and/or undistinguished acting. And I won't even bother with "adaptations" of the plot, such as Forbidden Planet or Cassavettes's Tempest.
Until this version, the only truly excellent version of The Tempest was the HBO animated one, but at 25 minutes, not much of Shakespeare's story remained intact.
This past spring I had the great pleasure of seeing Julie Taymor's The Tempest in London. It was absolutely amazing. The magic was there! The acting, for the most part, was brilliant. The script contained enough of the actual play's language that the minor tweakings to make it easier for contemporary audiences did not bother me a bit. The visuals were absolutely stunning. The movie was a joy from start to finish. I can't wait to see it again--repeatedly--to savor all the special moments over and again. My only regret is that my students will be unable to see it this year due to the late release date.
If you love Shakespeare, and if you enjoy movie adaptations of the plays, DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!
As a literature professor who has been teaching The Tempest for a decade now, I have always been singularly bemused by the lack of a filmed version that really captures the magical spirit of the play. The old TV Richard Burton show is well-acted but silly, the BBC version has great actors but terrible, flat production values, Prospero's Books is brilliant but incomprehensible to all but those who know the play intimately, Derek Jarman's version is terribly dated and, despite being a good "film," just doesn't work as The Tempest, in my opinion. The other, "scholastic" releases are plagued by poor production and/or undistinguished acting. And I won't even bother with "adaptations" of the plot, such as Forbidden Planet or Cassavettes's Tempest.
Until this version, the only truly excellent version of The Tempest was the HBO animated one, but at 25 minutes, not much of Shakespeare's story remained intact.
This past spring I had the great pleasure of seeing Julie Taymor's The Tempest in London. It was absolutely amazing. The magic was there! The acting, for the most part, was brilliant. The script contained enough of the actual play's language that the minor tweakings to make it easier for contemporary audiences did not bother me a bit. The visuals were absolutely stunning. The movie was a joy from start to finish. I can't wait to see it again--repeatedly--to savor all the special moments over and again. My only regret is that my students will be unable to see it this year due to the late release date.
If you love Shakespeare, and if you enjoy movie adaptations of the plays, DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Awful Production
Having watched Julie Taymors excellent films Titus & Frida l cannot put into words how disappointed l was with her production of The Tempest :(
Published 15 hours ago by adieinfrance
All the infections that the sun sucks up from bogs, fens, flats, on...
It's the same old story: A young mother with the unusual name of Prospera who has a four-year-old child is cheated of her inheritance when her husband dies and her greedy brother... Read more
Published 1 month ago by C. O. DeRiemer
Why bother?
Helen Miren is a superb actor and makes the most of the part of 'Prospera' although I really don't see why they bothered to make this version of 'The Tempest' other than to feed... Read more
Published 2 months ago by The Wychdoctor
Nice cgi - leave well alone
nice cgi effects
I love this play, but the whole thing was, well, flat.
Russell Brand's expletives - I don't know. Can he talk without them? Read more
I love this play, but the whole thing was, well, flat.
Russell Brand's expletives - I don't know. Can he talk without them? Read more
Published 4 months ago by P. Radcliffe
Dont be put off by the negative reviews. See it for yourself.
I agree that the lack of clarity to many of the speeches is a big problem. Otherwise the film is entertaining, visually exciting and with good performances. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Simon W
A wonderful experience
Like everyone else at present, I haven't (end of November 2011) seen the DVD yet, so my impression is of the film in a cinema, and I was blown away. Read more
Published 11 months ago by David Franks
All washed up
I watched the new film of The Tempest last night. It is without doubt the worst Tempest production that I have ever seen. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Glenn
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