DVD & Blu-ray review: Much Ado About Nothing (12)

Joss Whedon DVD/Blu-ray (107mins)

Kenneth Branagh's 1993 version was full of thigh-slapping vim, dodgy accents (Keanu Reeves) and colour. Joss Whedon, who draws on his unofficial “repertory company” of actors from his TV work (Buffy, Angel, Serenity etc), opts for a black-and-white look and a modern-day, business people setting. And it falls a little flat. What rescues this low-budget Shakespeare adaptation is Amy Acker's nuanced Beatrice and Nathan Fillion's energetic turn as the pompous Dogberry.