Oh Please!! The 1968 version is a whole lot better than this crap!

Rating: 1/10 (30 November 2007)

I can't believe there are people who actually like this version of Shakespeare's play. Or those who prefer it to the 1968 version. The producers who wished to make a "modern-day" Romeo & Juliet just failed woefully. Only Leonardo DiCaprio seemed to stand out with his portrayal of Romeo (and that's because he's such good actor); isn't it a surprise that his 1968 predecessor is also named Leonard (Whiting)? But let's face it: Claire Danes was so damned unconvincing as Juliet and very plain too. She is nowhere near the beautiful, talented Olivia Hussey, who wowed the audience with her performance as Juliet in 1968. No matter how you look at it, the part of Juliet doesn't fit her at all!
Also, in the 1968 adaptation, Michael York made me admire the Tybalt character, as he portrayed him with a cool and calm grace that nearly made Tybalt a likable character (even though we know he isn't). Unfortunately, John Leguizamo's Tybalt was so downright irritating and annoying that he made him a whole lot more unpleasant than Shakespeare himself did. There are several issues I find appalling in this flick. In the first place, who says that Tybalt beats up Romeo when Romeo initially declines to fight him? Because Shakespeare definitely didn't.
Secondly, when the bloke who plays Benvolio says "Part, fools! Put up your swords; you know not what you do", I'm like "Swords? What swords? They are using GUNS, not swords". Why doesn't he say: "Hey! Put your guns down!"? That would have been more realistic.
Thirdly, Harold Perrineau's Mercutio, unlike that of John McEnery, is simply brash. He doesn't have the wit. And the idea of dressing him up like a drag queen is simply disgusting.
And finally, 4 crying out loud, who said Juliet woke up just before Romeo's death. Didn't the director read the story? I believe if Shakespeare got up from his grave and seen what they had done with his play, he'd call down GOD's curse on the script writers. In short, I was so disgusted with the movie that I wished I hadn't seen it at all. My brother who was watching it with me said he preferred it to the other one because it was "modern". He is one of those who believe that the movies made from the 80s backwards (i. e. movies of the 80s, 70s, 60s, etc) are rubbish, but that's his opinion, not mine.
Call me old-fashioned or whatever u like, but here's my verdict: If u are looking for a Romeo & Juliet movie, LOOK FOR THE 1968 ADAPTATION! DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS ONE, IT'S BLOODY TERRIBLE!!!