Hamlet
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Metascore
53 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Glenn Close, Mel Gibson
  • Summary: Franco Zeffirelli's version of Shakespeare's Hamlet - the Dane prince (Gibson) who seeks vengence for his father's death.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 18
  3. Negative: 3 out of 18
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    It's a strong, intelligent performance [by Gibson], filled with life, and it makes this into a surprisingly robust Hamlet.
  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Caryn James
    80
    Mel Gibson's Hamlet is strong, intelligent and safely beyond ridicule.... He is by far the best part of Mr. Zeffirelli's sometimes slick but always lucid and beautifully cinematic version of the play.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    60
    Most of the rest of this Hamlet effective or lovely as parts of it may be, just keeps sawing at the air in a drafty hall and pouring all its light on Mel Gibson and his angelic stubble. [18 Jan 1991]
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  4. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    38
    This big-screen Hamlet, pumped up to operatic scale by overkill director Franco Zeffirelli, exposes Gibson's shortcomings.

See all 18 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. JimR.
    10
    Energetic, entertaining presentation. Perfect casting.
  2. MovieLonely94
    7
    absolutely perfect.
  3. oliver1h
    7
    It thought it was a solid, worthy adaptation of the classic. Mel Gibson is interesting as Hamlet. Franco Zeffirelli could have done a better job as the director and the screenplay could use some refinement. Anyways I enjoyed this adaptation, and I can not really understand the very negative reviews. I think the movie was well worth a watch!… Expand
  4. CritiqueGirl
    6
    This review contains spoilers. I really liked it and then Glen Close thinks it makes sense to lip lock Hamlet because that is the what she thought her character, as his mother, would do. It actually ruined the movie for me.… Collapse

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