Director Michael Almerevda wanted to make "Hamlet" more accessible by relocating the play to modern corporate America. By necessity, he is forced to cut the subplots which make this such a rich play. What is left is less than what you get reading "Cliff Notes."
The performances range from the uninspired to simply amateurish. Ethan Hawke has his moments as Hamlet, but overall puts nothing into the role. The same can be said of Kyle MacLachlan's Claudius. As Polonius, Bill Murray acts as though he is reading his lines from cue cards. As Ophelia, Julia Stiles acts as if this were a high school production. Only Sam Shepard in his brief appearance makes an impression.
My recommendation for "Hamlet" is that you stick with the Olivier and Branagh versions.
The performances range from the uninspired to simply amateurish. Ethan Hawke has his moments as Hamlet, but overall puts nothing into the role. The same can be said of Kyle MacLachlan's Claudius. As Polonius, Bill Murray acts as though he is reading his lines from cue cards. As Ophelia, Julia Stiles acts as if this were a high school production. Only Sam Shepard in his brief appearance makes an impression.
My recommendation for "Hamlet" is that you stick with the Olivier and Branagh versions.