Branagh's ambitious past-life thriller is very much a product of its time, and seen today it feels rather dated: there are cheesy haircuts and outfits galore. Plus, the viewer never really believes Branagh's American accent, which remains distracting throughout the movie. Yet DEAD AGAIN succeeds where other movies fail: it feels original for the most part, and it possesses enough inventiveness on the part of Branagh the director to make it a fairly engaging viewing experience. The film has many overblown moments where good ol' Ken emulates Hitchcock and the like, especially in the use of some silly slow-motion towards the end. But the black-and-white sequences set during the '40s are pretty good and, although fairly slow-paced, the film manages to retain the interest throughout.The casting is also pretty decent; Branagh and Thompson are here teamed up again, and both of them are required to act in many different styles. Derek Jacobi, another regular, is excellent as the stuttering hypnotist, and God, doesn't he look creepy without the beard? There are other stars too who make an impact, from Robin Williams' foul-mouthed supermarket worker (grimy and paranoid) to Wayne Knight (JURASSIC PARK) as Branagh's buddy. One rather odd thing is the last twenty minutes of the film, which finishes up the mystery and drama side of the story after offering a nice twist, and becomes standard psycho-thriller territory, along the lines of THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE and all the others that were popular at the time. The diverse range of elements and the passion put into this movie make it a standalone piece of cinema.

Alice fell into a hole the length of a half-marathon and found herself in a land of hookah smoking caterpillars and prompt rabbits. We didn't ask any questions as she sauntered around Wonderland; we let her do the talking, while we, drink in hand, sat back and hoped she would get into enough trouble to provide for a hoot of a story. We couldn't put ourselves in her shoes — no one has had a tea party with a zany hat enthusiast (except maybe Liza Minnelli or some other unpredictable broad) — but we were more than willing to act as a sidekick during her so-called journey.Kenneth Branagh, more or less, asks us to do the same thing with Dead Again, a mystery/thriller/fantasy/romance/film noir (yes, it is comprised of that many genres) that spirals into the realms of lustrous cinema, defying explanation. This isn't the kind of movie that hits you over the head with its pragmatism, though; it is, rather, a sweeper in the same category of a Michael Curtiz sudser. You lose yourself in its reverie. Branagh has done something highly original here, even if it does eventually get trapped within the stickiness of its many convulsions. It takes the best components of a 1940s melodrama, the finest ingredients of a neo-noir, and concocts something simultaneously retro and modern. The results travel back and forth between head-scratching and engrossing, but remaining is Branagh's knowing eye for film, and what makes it so magical in the first place.Dead Again introduces itself with a slap and a bang of headlines. Vintage newspapers are slammed in our faces, enthusiastically announcing the murder of Margaret Strauss (Emma Thompson), a prominent concert pianist. The world has decided that her husband, composer Roman Strauss (Branagh), is guilty, and, without missing a beat, grabs him by the hand and leads him to the electric chair. If this isn't a tragic romance, then I don't know what is. The film then transitions into a black-and- white setting, moments before Strauss's death; we think we're about to get a full-blooded noir homage of The Man Who Wasn't There dedication, but not quite.Just as things are about to get interesting, bang!: the sensibilities of modern filmmaking techniques fill the screen. The jump from 1948 to 1991 is startling; but even more startling are the characters we come to meet. One is an amnesiac named Grace (Thompson); the other is a private detective, Mike Church (Branagh). And no, these fictional entities are not merely the result of prominent actors playing dual roles. Mike is called by a friend to try to help Grace figure out her true identity — but things, expectedly, turn out to be much more complicated than ever expected. It seems that Grace can only recall the details of Margaret Strauss's life, and Mike, as realistic as he is, is beginning to experience similar sensations.They enlist the help of an eccentric hypnotist (Derek Jacobi) who doubles as an antique dealer. Throughout their many encounters, it becomes abundantly clear that Mike and Grace may very well be the reincarnations of the doomed Strauss's; and romance, along with danger, are following close behind.Dead Again is borderline ludicrous, but doubts arrive long after the film is over; we're kept too busy to notice a flaw. Unlike Branagh's many other movies, this is not a film only for the intellectual crowd. It is also for those who are (a) looking for a glorious romantic thriller, or (b) are huge fans of classic cinema. It's popcorn entertaining, easy to absorb and hard to dislike. Our brains are buzzing, our hearts pounding with the promise of romance, suspense. Branagh takes a number of risks (how about that unexpected ending?), considering he photographs every Strauss flashback in magnificent black-and-white and fancies the tracking shot techniques of Hitchcock. Most pay off; the twists are what weaken the film, not its cinematic techniques.But I suppose I'm only nitpicking. One shouldn't complain about such things when talking about a movie that places reincarnation at its front- and-center. Fact is, Thompson and Branagh are wonderful together (they were husband and wife during filming, after all), and Dead Again is ingenious in its aesthetic and conception. It doesn't go as deep as one would hope, turning out to be much simpler than originally expected (considering its many complications). But this is grand escapism that ties a cherry knot in our minds and leaves us intrigued. Read more at petersonreviews.com

I agree with the guy a few reviews ago that pointed out all the plot holes (quite a few of which I didn't notice).It's just TOO unbelievable. You try to suspend disbelief just to have fun but couldn't do it.The ending was incredibly silly. The twists seemed pointless. The acting was very good all around, though. It DID hold my attention until the very end, which is a plus. Once it was over I felt like I wasted my time.If you want a good mystery with great twists, watch Wild Things. The first twist in THAT movie was a shock! This movie, the twists were like, yeah, OK, why??

Rough California detective Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) takes on the case of a mysterious woman (then wife Emma Thompson) who can't seem to remember who she is. With the help of a doctor (Derek Jacobi) she comes to realize she might be the reincarnation of Margaret Strauss (also Thompson) who was supposedly murdered by her husband (Branagh) back in 1949. As she starts remembering more it seems someone is setting out to kill her--but who and why.Intriguing mystery/thriller with supernatural touches. The script is good and the story has many twists and turns. They do give you clues to who is doing it along the way so you might be able to figure it out. However I couldn't when I first saw it in 1991 and loved it. I STILL love it even though I knew how it was going to end. The acting is great. Branagh (who also directed) completely buries his Irish accent and is lots of fun. Thompson is just fantastic in her role. They were also great in the flashback sequences which are in gorgeous black and white. Jacobi is good too and having fun in his role. Also in small roles are Campbell Scott (blue eyes blazing) and Robin Williams in a rare dramatic role. A fun, intricate movie well worth catching. I give it an 8.