Very surprisingly very good

Rating: 8/10 (23 January 2001)

It shouldn't work but somehow it manages to. Most people assume the play will survive an update because it is 'timeless' or 'as relevant now as ever' but that is the reason why modernizing it should be doomed to failure. It's not really saying anything that hasn't already been said. It has almost become a cliché that the theme of the play is as relevant today as it was when it was written. What Baz Luhrmann does is bring something a little different to the story it's bold but that's why it's good. Modern elements are blended almost seamlessly in to the original script. The TV Anchorwoman replaces the narrator, gun play replaces sword play, Verona beach replaces the city of Verona, gang violence replaces family rivalries and other elements like the taking of hallucinogenic drugs and the drag act appear convincingly with the original dialogue as if they were always meant to be there.
Keeping the original script was essential since it is written poetically (people in Shakspeare's time didn't really talk like that) and no one in there right mind would change the words of a poem since that would defy the whole point of it. If the language of the play puts you off watching this I would seriously recommend reading it first to help your understanding. A little bit more work than your average shallow Hollywood money spinner but infinitely more rewarding.