Okay...my issues:
1. Prospero is now Prospera - almost didn't see it because of this. This change is really no different than the Huck Finn issue. I'm pretty sure there's a reason why Shakespeare wrote this as a MALE role.
Evidence: Stephen Greenblatt's Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare - there's something biographically to be said about the father/daughter relationship (another fascinating read, Jonathan Bate's The Genius of Shakespeare). Written towards the end of his career, Shakespeare returned to his home in Stratford-upon-Avon to be with his beloved daughter, Susanna, and her family. Just as Prospero returns home in good faith with his daughter, Shakespeare returned as a rich man, whose family would be provided for after he died. He was also able to bestow a coat of arms on his family, something his father John had failed to do. Prospero had a prosperous (HA!) life, was cast aside only to regain prosperity for himself and his family - no different than Shakespeare's life. (So many parallels!)
Then again, the film is an ADAPTATION...I guess that's how Ms. Taymor can sleep at night.
2. Zoolander being cast as Ariel. I'm glad this connection wasn't pointed out to me until after the movie. How was anyone in the theatre able to keep it together when he ran through the air? Or really when he did anything? No...just no.
3. I don't usually like Shakespeare's comedies - this was no different. Taymor's adaptation of Titus was AMAZING; understandably, I had high hopes for this. I think there's just too much happening in the comedies. Everything eventually comes together, but by that point I'm long lost. It almost seems like the comedic characters are being played way over the top, too.
4. Prospero is now Prospera - if you want to toot your feminist horn, fine...but make a movie about Gloria Steinem. Leave Shakespeare off of your agenda!
That's all for now. Please, feel free to add to this list. I know I can't be alone on numbers 1 and 4.
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