I tried watching the 1963 version of "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor a few years ago and gave up after about 90 adventure-less minutes of boring dialogue. The 1999 version makes up for this shortcoming as it combines action & adventure with the expected melodrama.
A few memorable highlights are as follows:
-- Timothy Dalton is outstanding as Julius Caesar and has an undeniable commanding presence. That distinguishing cleft chin of his somehow fits the role just perfect.
-- Billy Zane is also great as Marc Antony. He played the psycho killer in "Dead Calm" and the love-to-hate villain in "Titanic," but his character in "Cleopatra" is the express opposite. As Marc Antony, Zane is both likable and heroic, not to mention loyal and realistically human.
-- There are some great Moroccan locations for the outdoor scenes. The indoor & city sets are good and have that distinctive Egyptian vibe; the costuming as well.
-- The multifaceted score isn't overly bombastic but it is fitting, properly edited and memorable.
As for Leonor Varela, the actress who plays Cleopatra, she has the requisite exotic looks for the part, but she's too bland. She's undeniably good-looking, but she's not my cup of tea (too thin), so all that leaves (for me) is her performance, which is merely adequate. However, I'll say this: She's more fitting for the role than Elizabeth Taylor!
The '63 version failed to pull me into its story; this '99 version pulls you right in and is easy to follow. I'm not saying that it's the most captivating piece of cinema, but it's certainly better than the '63 rendition.
WARNING: The run time of the film is 177 minutes and the DVD 155 minutes, but the VHS version runs only 139 minutes, cutting 38 minutes from the original!
GRADE: C+ or B-
A few memorable highlights are as follows:
-- Timothy Dalton is outstanding as Julius Caesar and has an undeniable commanding presence. That distinguishing cleft chin of his somehow fits the role just perfect.
-- Billy Zane is also great as Marc Antony. He played the psycho killer in "Dead Calm" and the love-to-hate villain in "Titanic," but his character in "Cleopatra" is the express opposite. As Marc Antony, Zane is both likable and heroic, not to mention loyal and realistically human.
-- There are some great Moroccan locations for the outdoor scenes. The indoor & city sets are good and have that distinctive Egyptian vibe; the costuming as well.
-- The multifaceted score isn't overly bombastic but it is fitting, properly edited and memorable.
As for Leonor Varela, the actress who plays Cleopatra, she has the requisite exotic looks for the part, but she's too bland. She's undeniably good-looking, but she's not my cup of tea (too thin), so all that leaves (for me) is her performance, which is merely adequate. However, I'll say this: She's more fitting for the role than Elizabeth Taylor!
The '63 version failed to pull me into its story; this '99 version pulls you right in and is easy to follow. I'm not saying that it's the most captivating piece of cinema, but it's certainly better than the '63 rendition.
WARNING: The run time of the film is 177 minutes and the DVD 155 minutes, but the VHS version runs only 139 minutes, cutting 38 minutes from the original!
GRADE: C+ or B-