Much Ado About Nothing
Lionsgate | Release Date: June 7, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
78
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews
Positive:
34
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyJun 21, 2013
Would the magic hold? The magic holds. It holds from beginning to end. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesNell MinowJun 20, 2013
Joss Whedon’s take on Shakespeare’s classic tale is swanky, sexy and sophisticated, as bracing as a dry martini poured from a silver shaker on a summer night. Read full review
100
The New York TimesA.O. ScottJun 6, 2013
From its very first scenes, Mr. Whedon’s film crackles with a busy, slightly wayward energy that recalls the classic romantic sparring of the studio era. Read full review
91
The PlaylistMar 7, 2013
Its off-the-cuff nature makes for a film that is not flawless – the music is a bit daft, and some of the acting a little too “large” for the intimate setting – but is, from beginning to end, delightful. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinMay 27, 2013
The movie’s singular acting triumph is Nathan Fillion’s Constable Dogberry, one of Shakespeare’s simpler buffoons made poetic by understatement. Fillion speaks softly, with ­uninflected sincerity, a brilliant departure from the standard gregarious-­hambone Dogberry. It’s his insularity — his imperviousness to the interjections of more observant people — that makes him such a touchingly credible clown. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTy BurrJun 21, 2013
Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing is just about the sloppiest Shakespeare ever put on the screen. It may also be the most exhilarating — a profound trifle that reminds you how close Shakespeare’s comedies verge on darkness before pirouetting back into the light. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJun 20, 2013
Finally! A romantic comedy that works. And not just because of Shakespeare. Read full review
88
New York PostLou LumenickJun 6, 2013
The first filmed Shakespeare comedy in decades that’s actually funny. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianMarc MohanJun 20, 2013
It's a pleasant, engaging version of probably the closest thing to a sitcom the Bard ever penned. Read full review
83
Tampa Bay TimesSteve PersallJun 19, 2013
Much Ado About Nothing is simply a fun time among Whedon and his friends, and for the most part it's contagious. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerJun 7, 2013
I enjoyed Whedon’s film both as a species of stunt and also as a legitimately entertaining entry in the voluminous Shakespeare adaptation sweepstakes. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubA.A. DowdJun 5, 2013
So kudos to the cast of Much Ado About Nothing, Joss Whedon’s scrappy, snappy take of one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies. With little exception, the players assembled here — most of them veterans of the Whedonverse — pull off that difficult balancing act with gusto. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzJun 21, 2013
Although not everyone in the cast is as comfortable with the dialogue as Acker, for whom it seems natural, there is a clear love for the material here in every performance, in every shot. It’s not stuffy or remote. It’s fun. Read full review
80
The TelegraphDavid GrittenJun 15, 2013
Acker and Denisof spar with each other in the best traditions of screwball comedy; worthy modern equivalents to Tracy and Hepburn. They’re the main source of joy in a film overflowing with treats. Read full review
80
EmpireHelen O'HaraJun 10, 2013
It will require no conspiring to make you fall for this one; Whedon and Shakespeare are a perfect match. Read full review
80
Total FilmMatt MaytumJun 9, 2013
A breezy but heartfelt Shakespear update that should put a smile on the faces of Whedon fans, Bard worshippers and anyone in the mood for a sharp, sassy romance. Read full review
80
SlateDana StevensJun 6, 2013
This Much Ado About Nothing — while perhaps not an adaptation for the ages in every respect — is as bracingly effervescent as picnic champagne. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanJun 6, 2013
An absolute delight, as merry as the day is long. Read full review
80
Village VoiceChris PackhamJun 4, 2013
With its interrogations of gender, feminism, and marriage, Shakespeare's comedy is an apt vehicle for Whedon's own storytelling agenda. Read full review
80
The Guardian Catherine ShoardMar 7, 2013
But Whedon's key coup is in simply directing a very good version of the play. He's got a keen ear for comedy, a no-nonsense approach to ditching the gags that don't work, a deft hand for slapstick and an eagerness to use it. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeMar 7, 2013
More than most adaptations, this is a film true to Shakespeare's practice of employing all means at hand to keep the crowd entertained. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisJun 19, 2013
Fillion’s performance as the constable Dogberry in this section is the film’s comic highlight. Wounded by an insult, his ass-backward indignation achieves a droll momentum that will have you chuckling. All’s well that ends well, indeed. Read full review
75
Washington PostAnn HornadayJun 20, 2013
With Much Ado About Nothing, Whedon has crafted an endearing bagatelle, made with equal parts brio and love, ambition and pared-down modesty. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJun 19, 2013
Whedon has made the Bard accessible and that achievement places him alongside Branagh in the exclusive club of directors who can handle both superheroes and Shakespeare effectively. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Michael PosnerJun 14, 2013
It’s a pleasant surprise, therefore, to see what Whedon has done with the Bard’s timeless comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter TraversJun 6, 2013
Whedon, without skimping on the tale’s tragic undercurrents, has crafted an irresistible blend of mirth and malice. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyJun 5, 2013
The film isn't as fast and funny as it could be, although Nathan Fillion's easily offended constable injects some sorely needed comic relief. Read full review
75
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreJun 3, 2013
A winking comedy with dark underpinnings and some of Shakespeare’s most wicked wordplay. Read full review
75
Film.comJordan HoffmanMar 7, 2013
This tiny friends-and-family production has the vibe of a project done on weekends and after school. That’s no knock. It is vibrant and bubbly and just clever enough to engage people who wouldn’t normally watch a black-and-white micro-budget Shakespeare adaptation without any big movie stars. Read full review
70
The New YorkerAnthony LaneJun 23, 2013
Still, there is a time to stop quibbling, and to laud the fact that this movie was made at all. [24 June 2013, p.85]
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranJun 6, 2013
It feels like a blessing to have this production at all and we are fortunate it turned out as well as it did. Read full review
70
SalonAndrew O'HehirJun 6, 2013
Homemade as it clearly is, and first-drafty as it often feels, Whedon’s Much Ado will reward repeat viewings, for the adroitly paced dialogue, the debauched humor of the extended party scenes and the offbeat visual jokes. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternJun 6, 2013
Even if snorkeling wasn't a major sport in 16th-century Sicily, where the action was originally set, the joyous spirit of the play has been preserved in this modest, homegrown production. Read full review
63
St. Louis Post-DispatchJoe WilliamsJun 20, 2013
Whether on stage or the screen, Much Ado About Nothing is a pleasure that passes like a midsummer night’s dream. Read full review
60
Time OutKeith UhlichJun 4, 2013
The movie feels like too much of a lark. To paraphrase the play’s voice of reason, Friar Francis, it would be better if Whedon paused awhile and let his counsel sway us more. Read full review
58
IndieWireEric KohnMar 7, 2013
Call it a Shakespearean catharsis or just call it a lark -- either way, the movie represents Whedon's least essential work, regardless of the material's inherent comedic inspiration. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineChris CabinJun 3, 2013
The film is nothing without the physicality of the performers, as Joss Whedon's script handles the transition of Shakespeare's language to modern day indifferently. Read full review
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