I love West Side Story, even though it’s a sad, “bring tissues” type movie. My love, however, seems restricted to the 1961 West Side Story movie, and the play. While I haven’t seen this on Broadway (and there’s a sly nod to Broadway in the first three minutes of the 2021 film — did you catch it?), I’ve personally played the role of Anita. Which was great fun, but neither here nor there, except to prove my West Side Story credentials.
So while I say that the original film version is an A-grade movie, I’m going to admit disappointment with Steven Spielberg’s 2021 attempt. I don’t know what happened here; Spielberg is absolutely more reliable than this. This was probably a passion project for him, but somehow the new version sucked all the air out of every scene. I didn’t feel anything. I basically waited for WSS to be over.
The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App
The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.
Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)
I still cried — it’s an awful, tragic story, based on, you know, Romeo and Juliet — but then, I’m an easy crier.
If you’re going to take on a renowned classic, the reboot needs to give us something magical. It doesn’t need massive plot changes, gender flips, or updated milieu, but there should be a reason the new film exists.
The 1961 version was filmed like art
I just did a rewatch this week and was super impressed with how it holds up with grace and relevance to our times. There were amazing stylized, unforgettable moments that popped on the screen, with a use of color, framing, direction, and light that sold the setting and emotional turmoil of the characters. One notable swing-and-miss was the wedding scene. In the original, it’s clear from the set lighting and cross symbolism that this is a “real” wedding in the eyes of God.
The humor with Maria and Tony in the dress shop (setting up the mannequins) wasn’t even there. In fact, there wasn’t any humor in this 2 1/2 hour slog. I’m not saying this was a bad movie. I just think it’s meaningless. It didn’t add to the catalog or genre any more than the reboot of Footloose did.
There were some oddly-placed lyric changes that took away from the excitement of hearing and seeing some of these well-beloved Stephen Sondheim songs. Mainly I noticed America and I Feel Pretty being changed. Did the latter remove the “I feel gay” phrase to better jibe with the times? Does anyone know if these are legit alternate lyrics?
I was also disappointed with the characters. I’m not sure if it was an issue with casting, chemistry, or the script, but everyone either fell flat or was barely there. Ice? They took away his big Cool number. Anybodies had a small arc as the girl who proved herself to the Jets, but it all went by so fast. It would have been nicer to expand that. Bernardo was a humorless jerk, Chino was a cipher…and even Anita, powerhouse woman of the tale, was kind of bland here. Riff, the leader of the Jets, lacked charisma.
What people are saying
about the RunPee app.
Brilliant idea with great information
I’ve been using RunPee for a few years now and it’s basically a requirement of going to the movies for me. The best part of course are the “pee times” that give you cues, synopses and times for when you can pee without missing the most important parts of the movie. There is also information about the credits- length, extras and if there are any extra scenes at the wayyy end. Super helpful to just know that it is or isn’t worth staying. There is a timer function that will buzz your phone when it’s a good time to pee. I also appreciate that the app is very conscientious about it being an app you use in a theater- dark background, all silent alarms etc. I will always enjoy the experience of the theater even if I could watch things at home- but I’ve even used it at home to check for things like after credit scenes or other information too.
View all reviews
Apple App Store | Google Play Store
Download RunPee app
Tony and Maria were serviceable. They looked the parts, sang well enough.
Not exactly high praise?
Overall, if you’re a big fan of West Side Story, by all means, see this in the theater. For everyone else, wait to stream it (and then compare with the original for fun). The message is timely, crucial, and extremely relevant. Agonizing race divisions are still with us, from Shakespeare’s age through to our times. We just don’t express it through song and dance. ;-(
Grade: B-
About The Peetimes: Peetimes were challenging. I’m going to assume you’re here for the classic song & dance numbers — and there’s a song every few minutes. I do have 3 good Peetimes for you where you don’t miss much, nicely spaced out, plus a 4th emergency Peetime after the 2nd hour.
There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of West Side Story. (What we mean by Anything Extra.)
| Rated: | (PG-13) Some Strong Violence | Brief Smoking | Strong Language | Suggestive Material | Thematic Content |
| Genres: | Crime, Drama, Musical, Remake, Young Adult |
| Starring: | Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose |
| Director: | Steven Spielberg |
| Writer(s): | Tony Kushner, Arthur Laurents |
| Language: | English, Spanish |
| Country: | United States |
Plot
An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.
Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Wicked, Gladiator II, Red One, The Wild Robot and coming soon Moana 2, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Kraven the Hunter, Mufasa: The Lion King and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today’s blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there’s a new film out there, we’ve got your bladder covered.
Leave a Reply