Given the intense rigors that come with a massive production like 2012’s Avengers, one might assume director Joss Whedon would’ve used a fall 2011 break in the shoot for some well-deserved R&R. After all, he still needed to deal with months of post-production.

While Whedon stayed home, he didn’t sit on his laurels. Instead, he used his home as the location for Much Ado About Nothing, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play that made it to multiplexes in 2013.

Leonato (Clark Gregg) serves as the governor of Messina, and he hosts a gathering at his home. Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) recently won a campaign against his brother Don John (Sean Maher), and his fellow officers Benedick (Alexis Denisof) and Claudio (Fran Kranz) accompany him.

Claudio romances Leonato's daughter Hero (Jillian Morgese) and they plan to marry, while Benedick maintains a contentious – but sexually-charged - relationship with Leonato’s niece Beatrice (Amy Acker). As matters push toward a wedding, Don John attempts to foil the nuptials and others conspire to unite Benedick and Beatrice.

Though Kenneth Branagh produced his own version of Ado in 1992, I never saw it. Whedon’s adaptation became my first exposure to the play, so I can't compare to other editions.

Overall, Whedon’s Ado moves well and entertains. However, the update to modern times comes with some quirks that don't work.

This issue doesn’t seem unique to Whedon, as attempts to shove Shakespeare into the mouths of present-day characters tend to feel unnatural. Because Whedon avoids the dated stylistic choices that bedevil Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, his Ado fares better than that 1996 film, but it still comes across as awkward to see modern folks spout Shakespearean lines.

In addition, alterations to shift to the 2010s seem a bit off. For instance, it feels like a stretch to buy the various roles as warriors since they come across more like Yuppie stockbrokers.

I entertained the notion that Whedon uses “warriors” loosely and may mean Don Pedro and the rest “battle” either in the financial domains or in politics. However, if the movie makes this clear, I missed those moments, so I came away with the notion the participants are meant to be seen as military men.

In addition, other components – like tumult about the fact a 20-something-year-old woman isn’t a virgin – just don’t fit. Whedon gives Ado the trappings of the 2010s but leaves too much of the narrative and characters in the 16th century.

The two couples also fail to deliver equally dynamic tales. Though their acting leans a little broad at times, Acker and Denisof nonetheless create a lively couple, and they make the Benedick/Beatrice part of the movie enjoyable.

On the other hand, Hero and Claudio come across as dishwater dull. Though they get the more dramatic side of the tale, Kranz and Morgese can’t make them compelling.

Ultimately, Whedon delivers a fairly enjoyable take on Shakespeare, flaws aside. A little more work could’ve made it better, though.

Much Ado About Nothing appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This turned into an appealing black and white image.

Overall sharpness worked fine. Some minor softness crept in at times, but the majority of the film looked accurate and well-defined.

I detected no issues with jagged edges or shimmering, and edge haloes remained absent. Print flaws also failed to become an issue.

Blacks appeared deep and dense, while low-light shots felt smooth and clear, and the movie came with a nice silver sheen. I thought the presentation satisfied.

Given the movie’s wordiness, don’t expect a lot from its DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. It offered a low-key affair without sparks.

The soundfield remained subdued. Music dominated along with some general ambience, but I’d be hard-pressed to find anything notable in this soundscape.

Audio quality seemed positive, with speech that came across as natural and concise. Music appeared full and rich.

Effects lacked much to do, but these elements appeared accurate. This turned into a passable mix, albeit one that suited the story.

When we shift to extras, we open with two separate audio commentaries. The first comes from writer/director/composer/editor Joss Whedon, as he provides a running, screen-specific discussion of the project’s origins, the source and its adaptation, story/characters, shooting at his house, music and editing, photography and the choice to go black and white, influences, and related domains.

From start to finish, Whedon delivers a lively and informative chat. He touches on a slew of useful topics and makes this a terrific discussion.

For the second commentary, we hear from Whedon and actors Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney, Sean Maher, Riki Lindhome, Spencer Treat Clark, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz, Ashley Johnson, Clark Gregg, Jillian Morgese, Emma Bates, Tom Lenk, Alexis Denisof, and Romy Rosemont. All sit together for this running, screen-specific look at… not much.

Oh, Whedon tosses out some decent production notes. The actors also offer occasional worthwhile reflections related to their experiences.

However, the plan to team up 15 people for one session proves problematic. The participants often talk over each other and joke around more than anything else.

If you want to watch the film in a party atmosphere – with repeated exhortations to “drink!” – then you might dig the commentary. If you want a coherent, informative look at the production, skip this chaotic mess.

Two featurettes follow and Much Ado About Making Nothing runs 22 minutes, 12 seconds. It offers notes from Whedon, Johnson, Maher, Gregg, Denisof, Acker, Morgese, Diamond, Kranz, Bates, Clark, Lenk, Kocher, McElhaney, Lindhome, Rosemont, producer Kai Cole, editor Daniel S. Kaminsky, director of photography Jay Hunter, still photographer Elsa Guillet-Chapuis, and actors Nathan Fillion and Joshua Zar.

The featurette covers the movie’s development, cast and performances, the set and photography, adapting Shakespeare, and the film’s release. We get a mix of insights and fluff here.

Bus Ado About Nothing goes for six minutes, nine seconds. It involves Johnson, Whedon, Bates, Kranz, Kocher, McElhaney, Clark, Lenk, Zar, Kaminsky, and Morgese.

We learn of a cast/crew road trip to attend a film festival. Though not a deep reel, it comes with some amusing notes.

A music video for “Sigh No More” by Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen goes for two minutes, 42 seconds. It mixes footage of the Steben Twins’ trapeze act over the lounge-like song and becomes forgettable.

The disc opens with ads for Mud, Stories We Tell, The Bling Ring and Shakespeare In Love. No trailer for Ado appears here.

As an update on Shakespeare, the 2012 Much Ado About Nothing works reasonably well. It sputters at times due to a mix of factors and never quite zings, but it nonetheless creates a fairly enjoyable production. The Blu-ray comes with solid visuals, acceptable audio and a mix of bonus materials. While not a classic, Ado becomes mostly entertaining.