Ethan Hawke, one of the rising stars of Hollywood, is no stranger to reworking the classics. He starred in a modern version of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations in 1998.

"Surely he must be the son of God." Wrong film but Bill Murray delivers his lines in similar fashion.

Playing Hamlet, however, is a different kettle of fish. To give him credit, Hawke pulls this off in a film which tries hard but doesn't quite reach the peaks of William Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet.

It's not helped by bad performances from actors who should know better. Bill Murray stands out.

There are plenty of killings in Hamlet, but Mr. Murray does his best to murder the character of Polonius, Ophelia's father, long before he's accidentally shot. Wooden delivery would be too kind a description.

It's show down time. Hamlet and Laertes size each other up.

The modern day plot revolves around the death of the President of the Denmark Corporation. His wife swiftly marries his uncle Claudius much to the concern of the dead president's son Hamlet.

His suspicions are confirmed when the ghost of his father informs him that he was poisoned.

Hamlet heads down a road which will be tragic for all concerned.

Director Michael Almereyda's previous credits have hardly set the cinema world alight. The chances are this version will have to make do with being shown in more arty venues.

To be or not to be. Shall I hire Die Hard or Rambo?

That's a shame because there are certainly some nice touches. Modern methods of communication are a constant theme. Characters talk to CCTV's, Hamlet learns of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's orders to kill him by checking their lap top and Orphelia is wired for sound to enable Claudius to spy on his nephew.

Most memorable of all, however, is Hamlet's delivery of the famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy. Hawke delivers the lines while walking through a Blockbuster video store!

It takes a while to adapt to a film which has a modern setting but remains loyal to Shakespeare's text. It also takes time getting used to these lines being delivered with an American accent. But if you are a lover of the Bard, Michael Almereyda's interpretation is worth investigating.

Competition time
Win a copy of Shakespeare's Hamlet, complete with a picture of Ethan Hawke on the cover! We have four to give away.