The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Blistering performances.

I'd have to write like Dickens to praise this properly. If I'd been at the Old Vic I would have attempted to thank everyone in this production. And apparently, the available DVD rendering is a bit of a botch job on what was even greater. To praise individual members is to detract from many dozens of fine artists under expert direction. I cannot resist, however, David Threlfall as Smike. How on earth did he do that? These people are actors, with honed talents and memories like elephants -- a far cry from youngster "idols" who manage a 5-second cut the twelfth time around. The direction! Whom even do I praise for the concept of leaving inactive cast and crew on stage, a silent Greek chorus supervising with amusement, concern, astonishment, and horror? In some places, where they edit the original -- no sacrilege intended -- they improve it. But most all the script of this wonderful production needs no editing, because it is straight from the quill of the great Charles Dickens.

This RSC filmed nine hour long stage production is without doubt the most comprehensive, compelling and wonderfully unmissable adaptation of any Dickens novel ever made. If I could give it more than 10 out of 10 I would.Brilliant stage work, superb acting from every single member of the impressive cast, and good musical direction, and even incorporated audience participation. In short, it had the lot. Even for those unfortunate souls who turn their noses up at the classics this is a must see. It may change their minds.The maddening thing for me is, that although I have the complete production on audio tape, I have only the last episode on video. I hope to rectify this dire omission in my library a.s.a.p.I realise that the Royal Shakespeare Company has an ever formidable schedule, but I'm led to wonder why it hasn't tried a similar project with other Dickens novels. Could it be that this one is just unsurpassable?

It took me a while to get started on this series. Perhaps because I had never watched a stage show captured for television. I expected it to be a series of exhausting conversations in a dismal setting that seldom changed. But, I was wrong on all accounts. The 'Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby' is a classic and outstanding show. Every character from Nicholas and Smike to Ralph and Crummles has done tremendous justice to their roles. The display of emotions, clarity of dialogs, and intensity of expressions are astonishing. I assume there must have been thirty to thirty-five actors in the show. The number of characters in the play is definitely higher. The dexterity with which actors have played multiple roles is phenomenal. Despite the limited resources and space constraints inherent in such shows, the setting changed swiftly and fittingly. Not once did I feel the dreariness of a stagnant location. The sound effects, from the knock of doors to Newman Noggs's snapping fingers, are very natural. This is a magnificent rendering of Dickens's novel and a must-watch. I suggest watching one part a day, because it gives sufficient break to chew over that episode, and absorb the performances in their entirety.

I've seen many legendary performances, and yet this show was, without a doubt, the most fun I've ever had as an audience member. If, after the full 8+ hours of theater I'd seen that day, they came out and said they had 4 more for us, I'd have leapt to my feet in gratitude! A once in a lifetime production that I feel very lucky to have seen. And the tapes/DVDs bring it all back gloriously.