One major problem encountered was the audio mix, which at times made the spoken word drown in music and sound effects.  During the opening scene where the King of Naple’s ship is sinking, it was impossible to understand a single utterance and was difficult to distinguish whom the characters were during the major set up for the entire plot of the film, even having read and seen The Tempest before.

Taymor’s created a fairly pretty production, but certainly no interpretation for the ages. She’s encountered great success with her interpretation of Titus, and on stage with The Lion King, and again attempts to bring spectacle to a classic story with a twist in casting that should have sent ripples through classical theatre circles, but falls short through several glaring inconsistencies and missed opportunities.