Reviews

I don't know if this film will ever get a proper official release with English subtitles (or dubbed)... I saw it on YouTube.

My daughter and I are great fans of the series of classic manga books by Tezuka, so I was looking forward to this film. I am greatly disappointed.

Gone is the wonderful humour of the manga. There is no trace either of the wonderful distinctive style of Tezuka's drawings... this looks just like a thousand other bland anime movies. This is a movie which takes itself far too seriously. The Hollywood-style music is all sentimental swells and saccharine excess.

If you enjoyed the deep aspects of the mangas' introduction to the life of the Buddha and to Buddhist teaching... if you enjoyed the original quirky fun and great simple storytelling of the books - then avoid this film like the plague!!

Luckily the books are still available in English translation and are a great read for child and adult alike. Go for it!

The best film about war I've seen. This is not a film about 'a war' like the countless others I've seen, but something that truly addresses the issue of war itself. What is war? Is it a necessary part of human nature? Can one be a pacifist? Do I really care that people are being killed (in my name) in far-away lands?

Needless to say this film is as vibrant and shockingly relevant to the year 2010 as it was to 1968. Vietnam? Iraq? Afghanistan......?

Peter merges his 'fiction' seamlessly with stock footage, real people speaking, 'dramatic reconstructions'... even musical numbers. Again and again during the film I as the viewer am placed in front of myself. If you are open to the experience, you cannot watch this film passively. Peter has created a film which places myself and my 'opinions' in question.

I saw this film for the 1st time recently despite being a long-time admirer of Brook's work. It was screened at the Barbican in London. In order to reach the wide audience it richly deserves, this film should be re-released on DVD.

Mediocre. Twee. Shallow. Smug. Superficial. Childish. Laughable.

Because this is a 'comedy' of Shakespeare's does this mean it needn't be played with any depth of understanding? It should not.

This production has had money thrown at it. Big name stars. Lush visual production values, etc.

Shakespeare would be spinning in his grave... if he were petty enough to care what Brannagh and the BBC can get up to in their ignorance and lack of care.

There isn't much more to be said. Look elsewhere for the rich heritage of already-filmed Shakespeare plays that are almost infinitely better than this.

I won't repeat all that has been said already by other viewers of this film.

In my opinion this is an excellent film, not only as a very human tale of the developing relationship between a father and his grown-up son, but also as a little window onto the world of practising Islam, for those like me who are not very familiar with that religion.

An important aspect of this story is that of the young man's relation to his father's beliefs and practices, and how his attitude towards the religion seems to alter in subtle ways as we progress on their journey with them.

This is a very thought-provoking, enjoyable and well-made film that I would recommend to anyone with brain and heart.