See the excellent review by Filipi Neti. Theater and media are, indeed, very different media. Stories are shaped, to a large large degree by the vehicle used. Had Will Shakespeare had access to movies, who knows what we would have??.

William Shakespeare is rolling in his grave. I didn't mind that they changed some of the dialogue to make it easier for today's audience to understand (because we know that today's audience members are too busy texting to actually learn anything about the original play) - what I do mind is the fact that this movie is a farce. Jousting for the beginning scene? Really? Romeo and Julie meet at a ball and just walk away and start making out? Really? I could go on - you get my drift. The movie sucks. P.S. A zillion actresses in the world and Hailey S. is cast as Juliet. Really?

I love the movie, it had a great cast but,at the beginning they didn't even really know each other and they kissed. Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth did an amazing job playing those roles, you could feel their emotions which is important in these types of movies. The last scene was so incredibly well put together, they really showed how their love had affected their families(Capulet and Monteigue). I thought the costumes were great and all the actors played their roles very well. Btw, the hairstyles were perfect! It is amazing how the love of two people affected everyone around them. Shakespeare is an amazing writer, this story is absolutely amazing, who would've thought of something like this? I think that Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth did an amazing job at portraying the characters and the love that Romeo and Juliet have. The lady-in-waiting, the Capulet king and queen, Paris, Vivolio, Tybalt and Romeo's father all acted their parts extremely well and couldn't of done it better.Overall, I thought the movie really reflected the story of Romeo and Juliet, it was great!

Many films, not all alike in quality, In fair cinema, where we lay our scene, From ancient story to new screen idolatry, Where repetition makes some critics mean.Shakespeare's tragic young lovers on screen oft before, for each generation and all others, in '36, '68, '96 and more.This time Hailee Steinfeld plays Juliet, With Douglas Booth, her devoted Romeo, She, an Oscar nominee for the film "True Grit". And for a handsomer man, you'd have far to go.The cast includes Natasha McElhone, The long-suffering muse on "Californication", And Damian Lewis, who starred on "Homeland", As a Congressman and a threat to our great nation.Ed Westwick as hotheaded Tybalt is perfectly cast, having played the scheming Chuck on TV's "Gossip Girl". The rest of the actors, from the first to the last, All well-cast in their roles, from countries around the world.The language they all speak is truly Shakespeare's own, With some speeches omitted or just changed. The words in the script, to Americans not unknown If you miss a few, the acting keeps you engaged.I'd be remiss in this review if I failed to mention This retelling of the story is not without invention. The settings and scenery, share a common beauty And with innocence and fragility, Juliet's a cutie.To conclude, I move on to other plays from which I dare to paraphrase. I hope to close this review on a helpful note, And maybe even give you something to quote.When deciding on a film for popcorn ingestion, To see or not to see, that is the question. You could just choose to get thee to a nunnery, But that wouldn't be nearly as much… funnery.Okay, I'm out. Let's see YOU find rhymes for question and nunnery. (Not to mention Stellan Skarsgård and Paul Giamatti, who are great as the Prince of Verona and Friar Laurence, respectively.) The earlier versions of this story are mostly very good, each in its own way, and this one definitely holds its own. If you enjoy love stories with drama, see 2013's "Romeo & Juliet". "B+"