Terribly modern and terribly funny.

What is not so modern is the Hero and Claudio storyline.

Claudio waits until she meets him at the altar and then publicly humiliates her and refuses to marry her.

It was this that I asked Whedon about.

But for Whedon, I thought it might be even more of a problem.

When I asked him about it, he explained that essentially, Claudio is an idiot.

Hes jealous and irrational in that jealousy and reflects the kind of shaming so common in our culture.

Either way, Joss says, I dont really have much hope for that marriage.

In fact, its not Claudio who uses the word virginity but her father Leonato.

Only the priest stepping in mitigates his fury enough to save Hero from her father.

Clark Gregg is an intensely kind-looking man.

In most productions, Leonato physically attacks Hero it was hard to see Gregg pulling that off.

I should have known Whedon would find a way to make it work.

But the most compelling change Whedon makes to the play is one that really resonates.

In Shakespeares text, Beatrice makes reference to having a romantic past with Benedick but gives no details.

They arent mature enough yet to deal with what they feel.

Something else that surprised me were the performances by Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof.

Frankly, I was really concerned at the casting of Acker.

Beatrice is arguably the strongest woman in Shakespeares comedies.

Unfortunately, for me Denisofs Benedick was less effective for me.

Instead, it was his handling of the Shakespearean text itself.

Denisof went the other way.

Denisof was likely factually correct in his observations.

Authenticity must and should give way to the need for understanding.

It becomes quite distracting, and at times keeps the audience from connecting to plot developments.

That said, theres a lot here worth seeing.

Fillions turn as Dogberry is unusual but quite funny.

Amy Ackers confident and still comical Beatrice is a revelation both of character and actress.

So yes, if he builds it, they will come.

And so it was at this years SIFF gala.

The films June release will undoubtedly accomplish much the same result on a much larger scale.

For pop culture and Shakespearean geeks alike, WhedonsMuch Adois a must-see this summer.

Much Ado About Nothing is out in the UK from today.

Here is alist of the cinemas playing it.