Juliet & Romeo (2025) – Film Review
Director: Timothy Scott Bogart
Cast: Jamie Ward, Clara Rugaard, Derek Jacobi
Certificate: 12A
By Roger Crow
Did you ever see the animated fantasy Rome O and Julie 8, a cartoon version of the classic tale about star cross’d lovers, only they’re robots? How about The Man From Atlantis episode involving Monatgues and Capulets? Possibly not.
Stick around long enough, and you’ll see hundreds of different versions of that tale in countless takes. Musical, comedy, animation, stage show. Played by puppet dogs no doubt, or any variation you can imagine, because it’s just one of those stories that’s ripe for reinvention.
One aspect of this latest version I didn’t expect was for one of the stars to discuss it, albeit briefly, during a talk at Leeds City Varieties recently.
“What’s the one role you wished you’d played?” Asks a member of the audience.
“Romeo,” comes Derek Jacobi’s reply, before remarking about this new take on the classic tale. But is it any good?
“Refreshing”
Well, if you’re a Shakespeare purist, possibly not. However, it’s still a good-looking musical spin on the Bard’s classic romance.
Alex Zane lookalike Jamie Ward is an amiable Romeo, and keep an eye on rising star Clara Rugaard as the eponymous heroine. She has a refreshing naturalism.
Jacobi adds dramatic heft as the blustering Friar Lawrence; Jason Isaacs (complete with broad Yorkshire accent) also stars with Rebel Wilson and Ruperts Graves and Everett. There’s a disconnect when the star cross’d lovers start singing with American accents, but it’s bright, breezy and likeable enough.
Jacobi has done this sort of thing so many times during his 60-plus year career that little wonder he’s so natural in front of the camera, but the bright young things also do a good job. Art direction is excellent, and the tunes are harmless, though whether you’ll be singing them after the closing credits roll is anybody’s guess.
And if you’re a fan of Derek Jacobi and co-star Rebel Wilson, the good news is they’ve teamed up with Kiefer Sutherland for that Yorkshire-set Christmas offering Tinsel Town which can no doubt be seen in a few months.
Adopted Yorkshireman Roger Crow developed a passion for film and TV in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been a published film and TV reviewer since the 1990s; a world travel and restaurant critic since the noughties, and for the past decade has assessed the pros and cons of live gigs and theatre productions around the UK. His ideal day would involve reviewing a performance of Bat Out of Hell, followed by a Pad Thai while being serenaded by Texas on a cruise around Europe.
crowsfeat.com
