Richard III

It would be a perverse act if you didn't unbutton at that point. As McKellen drops his pants, he tries to remove his shirt too, but fails -- it gets stuck over his head. ... Full Review

Made with gusto, daring and visual brilliance, this stripped-down, jazzed-up "Richard" pulsates with bloody life, a triumph of both modernization and popularization. It's part of McKellen's gift to make it seem that Richard is taking the audience into his confidence via his monologues because his contemporaries are too dense to be appreciative and he has to share his consummate villainy with someone. ... Full Review

By KENNETH TURAN TIMES FILM CRITIC April 6, 1996 Friday December 29, 1995 Richard of Gloucester is one of Shakespeare's most magnificent monsters and "Richard III" is a film audacious enough to match his astonishing villainy. This is Shakespeare exciting enough for even the most dubious, which, after all ... Full Review

Err too much on the side of drama with ``Richard III,'' and you lose the humor. A good rule of thumb for ``Richard III'' is that if it's not fun, somebody's doing something wrong. ... Full Review

We first see Richard as the battlefield hero, who has helped to place his brother on the throne through valorous, if somewhat malicious, duty in war. IAN MCKELLEN brought "Richard III" to the Curran in 1992 and his entertaining one-man show "Acting Shakespeare" to San Francisco twice. ... Full Review

sometimes makes meanings and character relationships clearer than they are in Olivier's celebrated 1955 movie, which is longer by 50 minutes.....A vivid, finely honed characterization, it receives top-notch support, especially in Jim Broadbent's pliant Buckingham, Nigel Hawthorne's credulous Clarence and Kristin Scott Thomas' conflicted Lady Anne.....Tony Burrough's splendid production design and Peter Biziou's sharp photography contribute enormously to pic's visual punch..... ... Full Review

In its own bloody way, Richard III is as enjoyable to watch as any recent screen production of Shakespeare, and the shift to the 1930's with its attendant Nazi imagery (parallels between Richard III and Hitler abound) gives the film a twist that conventional productions do not have. ... Full Review

That seems the attitude of Ian McKellen and director Richard Loncraine -- at least for the first 10 minutes or so of their slashing, hilarious, overpoweringly arch Richard III . Neither is he bogged down by the nightmarish richness of the sets, costumes, and locations; he is as ruthless as Richard himself in manipulating his characters and scenes through parallel editing, abrupt cuts, and outrageous visual humor. ... Full Review

Richard seizes control over the country, but his ruthless quest for power eventually makes him powerful enemies, led by Henry Richman (Dominic West), who attempt to stop him. With the help of some loyal henchmen, Richard succeeds in murdering his older brother Clarence (Nigel Hawthorne), which so upsets Edward that he dies. ... Full Review

Visually, the film is striking, and the scope and feel of the film will make you believe that it is some sort of $60 million epic when it was probably made for less than $2 million. you're aware of the fascistic nature of his interpretation of Richard ... Full Review