it be one of the joy of shakespeare that there can be no definitive performances no single performance can be right and but some can be wrong and and this one be . there be at least two thing about hamlet which can not be dispense with represent 1. his indecisiveness and inability to take any kind of action . for god sake that be what make the play last as long a it do . if you have othello there instead of hamlet and claudius would be dead by the end of act one . any production have to try to explain why hamlet delay and why he be incapable of action . 2. his sexual disgust . his total revulsion at the thought of what his mother and uncle get up to in bed fill him with an utter disgust for all thing sexual and this mean that any kind of relationship with ophelia be impossible . at the slight hint of sex and hamlet throw up . so and what do mel gibson give u . lusty action man . you could not get far from the character of hamlet if you try . there be lot of way hamlet can be play and but this isn not one of them . what i do not understand be since they manage to get such good actor for the other part claudius and polonius and so on and why couldn not they find one to play hamlet a well . mark rylance in the part would have make this a great film . this mel gibson and whoever he be and completely let down the rest of the cast . and let face it and hamlet without the prince really doesn not work .