Much Ado About Nothing

Joss Whedon tackles Shakespeare in a way that only the cult writer/director/producer can — with a signature tongue-in-cheek wit that has come to define his career.

"Much Ado About Nothing" is a honest tribute with a tinge of modern-day sensibilities. Unlike the star-studded, albeit lackluster, 1993 version, Whedon's ode to Shakespeare is undeniably charming in its execution and successfully manages to bridge the gap between the 17th and 21st centuries.

Shot entirely in black and white and on location at Whedon's home in California, the film has an earnest quality to it that lends itself to the themes present in the original. Following suit with all of Shakespeare's other work, "Much Ado About Nothing" is equal parts romance, infidelity, faux murder, mistaken identity and deception. Whedon expertly blends these themes together in a seamless yet calculated vision that is uniquely his own. Never before has iambic pentameter been so devilishly hip.

Also, unlike his more densely downtrodden works such as "Macbeth" and "King Lear," "Much Ado" is a far more lighthearted Shakespearean romp that many novice viewers will find easily palatable. Starring an up-and-coming, young who's-who cast melded with a veteran group of prominent stars, "Much Ado" is brimming with vibrancy despite its notably old-fashioned dialogue. Whedon fanboys will assuredly be pleased with the casting choices as well, as the film stars former Whedonites Amy Acker ("Angel"), Alexis Denisof ("Buffy") and Nathan Fillion ("Firefly") just to name a few.

In the world of Shakespearean adaptations, there would appear to be two linear trains of thought — the first of which is a more straightforward approach where the action on the screen mirrors the duality of the dialogue itself. This approach lends itself to the original vision Shakespeare had for his plays. The second train of thought is to juxtapose modern-day aesthetics with iambic pentameter still intact. This is most notably seen in the 1996 adaptation of "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet." "Much Ado About Nothing" seemingly creates its own linear path that transcends these alternate lines of approach.

While the film is aesthetically present-day with the original script still intact, the juxtaposition between dialogue and cinematography isn't as jarring as the likes of "Romeo + Juliet." The hints of contemporary influence are incredibly subtle as to mimic a timeless quality that transcends both the screenplay and script.

Whedon expertly pulls off the improbable; a modern-day adaptation of a Shakespearean play that is neither a period piece nor a revision, the end result being a dutiful yet delightful neoteric romantic comedy. Seemingly, the only real flaw exists in the somewhat predictable nature of the plot. Then again, I suppose that's solely on Shakespeare himself seeing as how Whedon has seemingly perfected everything else.