Inexplicably low IMDB rating???

Theres like 50 other versions and I think people have fallen in love with the first one they saw, Orsen Wells being the most popular.
Also maybe they are biased against Lawrence Fishburne because he's not a traditional Shakespeare type actor. I like it cuz Kenneth Brannagh always does a great job, and its the first time I saw a black man in the role. Normally color doesnt matter but the character is supposed to be a moor, its actually a minor plot point.

Oh that may be another reason. Some folks really dont like Kenneth Brannagh, so that alone could explain the low rating.

I agree with you. I love this adaptation.

However, Siskel and Ebert pretty much panned it when it came out, so the praise was not universal.

Oh well, even they could be wrong once in awhile.

Ebert was wrong quite often, like probably 33% of the time, Siskel was more consistent, prolly only wrong like 15-20%. I think that maybe Ebert was willing to give thumbs down to legitimate good movies sometimes just so they could have a back and forth.

Yeah score is confusing, movie is great, I can't see someone giving it like... a 4 or a 5. If you watched the whole thing your inclined to like Shakespearean adaptations right, and this is one of the best! I think a lot of people were forced to watch this in school and their just dullards and they give it a 1 cause they were forced to watch it and can't follow Shakespeare's dialogue.

"Nobody knows anybody, not that well..." - Miller's Crossing

I believe that several of Branagh's versions are -the- best filmed versions of Shakespeare. This is one of them. Henry V is another.

When Branagh is on his game, he is the rarest of Shakespeare directors: he can make non-Bard lovers enjoy the piece.

I think people who dislike his works (unjustly) do so because they are Bard snobs... they think Branagh is 'over the top'...or... they grew up with an Olivier or other version and that's their 'version'.

I just finished watching the BBC 'Hollow Crown' series and found it -flat- by comparison. I can't imagine any non-Shakespeare groupie enjoying that stuff.

Trying for popularity doesn't always mean poor quality.