I like this play very much after having read it and watch another version of it. But Branagh's work? I didn't like it. It was too "Hollywood-like" It could be said, for lack of a better word, that Branagh "overacted"; but I will just say that his performance wasn't exceptional. He was very intense and histrionic, yes, but intensity alone doesn't make a good film (especially when you're not starring in 'Hard To Kill') Shakespeare's character's are very complex, and complexity I didn't find. On the other hand, it was "dynamic and entertaining". Branagh seems to feel that the more action he brings, the better. Branagh wanted to capture the attention of the masses, and he did it. He made a Hollywood-eske blockbuster.
But if you want quality and superior acting, please get the BBC version of it with David Gwillim (1979)
But if you want quality and superior acting, please get the BBC version of it with David Gwillim (1979)