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A movie version of William Shakespeare鈥檚 play 鈥淐ymbeline鈥� which updates the action to modern day is set to be released on March 13.

鈥淐ymbeline鈥� tells the story of a princess named Imogen, who gets secretly married to a man in her father鈥檚 court. Meanwhile, there is strife between her father, King Cymbeline, and Caesar Augustus.聽

In the new movie, it鈥檚 not Romans and Celts battling but bikers and policemen. 鈥淕ravity鈥� actor Ed Harris portrays the king, while 鈥淔ifty Shades of Grey鈥� actress Dakota Johnson portrays Imogen, Milla Jovovich is Cymbeline鈥檚 wife, Penn Badgley of 鈥淕ossip Girl鈥� is Imogen鈥檚 husband Posthumus, and Ethan Hawke is Iachimo, a man who places a bet with Posthumus that he can win over Imogen.聽

Actors Anton Yelchin, John Leguizamo, and Bill Pullman also co-star.聽

This is, of course, not the first time a Shakespeare tale has been updated to contemporary times 鈥� recent efforts include Joss Whedon鈥檚 2012 film 鈥淢uch Ado About Nothing,鈥� the 1996 Baz Luhrmann film 鈥�Romeo + Juliet,鈥� and a 2000 version of 鈥�Hamlet鈥� starring Hawke which was directed by 鈥淐ymbeline鈥� helmer Michael Almereyda. In addition, Shakespeare and biker gangs have been put together before 鈥� Kurt Sutter, creator of the successful FX show 鈥淪ons of Anarchy,鈥� told , 鈥淚 loosely based all my characters on ones from 'Hamlet.'鈥� So can Cymbeline set itself apart?聽

Early reviews have been mixed to negative. critic Peter Debruge wrote that the movie feels 鈥渙ut-of-time鈥� but holds our interest, thanks to [the] cast.鈥澛�

鈥淭he helmer has opted to focus more on the somewhat ridiculous fidelity test,鈥� he wrote of Almereyda. 鈥淗aving learned a thing or two from Baz Luhrmann, Almereyda substitutes guns for daggers and picks his locations carefully, creating a rich, sultry-looking environment鈥� Still, 鈥楥ymbeline鈥� is no 鈥楬amlet鈥� when it comes to material鈥� a final scene [is] so improbably overloaded as to seem comical.鈥�

Meanwhile, David Rooney of the wrote that 鈥渨hat this moody contemporary update does is expose the play as a second-rate Romeo and Juliet that just wasn鈥檛 made for these times.鈥� Rooney also noted the strangeness of the bet in which Posthumus and Iachimo participate. 鈥淎lmereyda doesn鈥檛 even attempt to justify why Posthumus would take the bet,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the reasons Almereyda鈥檚 adaptation only half works at best. Too many of the situations just don鈥檛 play convincingly in the contemporary reality鈥� Almereyda puts together a slick-looking, well-paced package. But the central conceit simply doesn鈥檛 hang together well enough to create credible dramatic stakes.鈥澛�

writer Robbie Collin was even less impressed.聽

鈥淎lmost nothing seems to click,鈥� Collin wrote. 鈥淭he plot鈥� is a snaky one even by Shakespearean standards. But rather than trying to make sense of its narrative contortions, the film disguises them with gimmicks and posturing, with the result that it doesn鈥檛 just feel implausible, but insincere into the bargain.鈥�