No, it's not the BBC Mini-series. It is, however, a wonderful film.

Rating: 10/10 (29 May 2008)

If you are a huge fan of the 1995 BBC mini-series, or more specifically if you are a middle-aged woman who is completely obsessed with Colin Firth's Darcy and get absurdly angry at the prospect of anyone else attempting to fill that role, then you shouldn't watch this film. I'm guessing that 99% of the bad reviews this movie has received on this site have come from women who have watched the BBC version 6,000 times and are disgusted by their poor husband/boyfriend because he's not more like Firth's Darcy.
Ugh. I get chills just thinking about that. If you happen to be dating a woman and learn that she loves the BBC version of P&P, I would suggest that you run. Quickly. You will never live up to her expectations of a man. If you stay, you are doomed.
As for the 2005 version of P&P, it is a gorgeously shot and scored film. The backgrounds are lovely, the colors, tones, and music are soft and alluring, and even the transitions between scenes are often surprisingly well thought out. For example, there is one scene that ends with Elizabeth blowing out a candle which cuts directly into a shot of a whipping piece of fabric, and the two sounds are almost identical. Very clever.
The script does stray from the book, but I personally like that. If I want to read the book, I'll read the book (which I have done many, many times mind you). This movie expounds more on the love between Lizzy/Darcy and Jane/Bingley, and modernizes the atmosphere and the attitudes just enough to remove some of the obnoxiously dull stuffiness of England's Regency period. The actors are wonderful, particularly Knightley, but especially Simon Woods who plays Mr. Bingley. His wide-eyed, warm-hearted charm is very funny and enjoyable to watch. Donald Sutherland was very good as well, the last scene between his Mr. Bennett and Elizabeth was quite powerful and made me quite happy that I'll be the father of a baby daughter in the near future.
So, to summarize...
1) It's not the BBC version.
2) Colin Firth is not in it.
3) If you are a man who is involved with a woman who is obsessed with Colin Firth's Darcy, then I feel sorry for you.
4) If you appreciate quality film-making, enjoy good-humored romance stories, and don't particularly care about this movie being exactly like the book (i.e. you're not a "Janeite"), then you'll very much enjoy it.