Sir Ian McKellen has been a fanboy fave ever since becoming Magneto in "X-Men" and Gandalf in "Lord of the Rings," and while many people first took notice of him in his Oscar-nominated performance as James Whale in "Gods and Monsters," it was his performance in Bryan Singer's underrated, intriguing film "Apt Pupil" where he first caught my eye.

In "Apt Pupil," McKellen plays a Nazi soldier who is discovered to be living in suburban America by a young boy (the late Brad Renfro). But McKellen's character in that film is a sympathetic one comapred to the villainy he displays as Richard in "Richard III," a 1995 adaptation of the Shakespeare play. Cowritten by McKellen and director Richard Loncraine, this film- just seen via Netflix- has been on my radar for a while with its' transplanting of Shakespeare's play to 1930s England, painting Richard as a fascist leader to rival Hitler. The parallels are undeniable. The film's potency is unquestionable. It's beautifully designed and shot, a visual experience that seems hard to imagine for the stage given the way Loncraine uses cinematic techniques to tell the story. And while the cast as a whole is marvelous (Annette Bening, Maggie Smith, Kristen Scott Thomas, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr.), McKellen is the film's dark soul, with Shakespeare's words coming out of his mouth- sometimes staring right into the camera- with a seductive purr that comes right from Hell.

I wish I was more familiar with the original play to see how it was adapted into this story, but no matter- McKellen makes the old seem new again, much like he can in whatever role he's inhabited. If you only know him from Middle Earth and Marvel movies, do yourself a favor and check this film out- your fandom will only increase. A great actor, a great role. It's a pretty damn good movie as well.

Grade for "Richard III"- A

Brian Skutle

<a href="http://www.sonic-cinema.com">/www.sonic-cinema.com</a>