Best: Mrs Brown (1997) The British Dame holds the considerable accolade of having a number of what are considered perfect Shakespearean adaptations - Hamlet (twice,) Henry V and Shakespeare In Love (sort of) - and her performances in the Bond franchise have been a strong foundation, but none of those are her best work. Her Gold Star comes for royalist period piece Mrs Brown, which channelled both her matriarchal power and her penchant for prickliness, in a role that was one part of the most eminently watchable movie odd couples of all time. Worst: The Chronicles Of Riddick (2004) Many would probably suggest The Magic Roundabout (otherwise known as Doogal) as Dench's greatest failure, but that animation at least knew its place - it is the grander failures of vapid musical monstrosity Nine, and overblown, soulless sequel The Chronicles Of Riddick that stand out as by far the worst black marks to her name. The former is sloppy and superficial, but is at least fun in parts, while Riddick is a remarkable spectacle in expensive emptiness: it cost a fortune, based on the success of the original, but such was the idiotic lack of restraint behind it that it is utterly joyless and completely missed Riddick's central appeal.
