I read the previous unflattering review and couldn't believe it! So often Shakespeare contains such a morass of preconceived notions and line readings that it becomes a play containing characters and plot no longer,but a contest- delivering 'Ye Old English' lines in a pompous overblown manner. I ran across this on cable while switching channels and was absolutely glued to the screen. Anthony Hopkins' performance (despite the alleged 'make-up' which I honestly didn't notice) was very good, and Bob Hoskins' interpretation of Diago was absolutely ingenious. As a general rule I am not overly fond of Shakespearian drama, so for me to become absolutely mesmerized by it the performances not only had to be original, it had to be credible. You may not like this version if you suffer from puerile preconceived notions on how Shakespeare 'must' be played, but if you want to see a good play that just happens to be Shakespeare, I highly recommend it!