Entertainment

West Side Story review | New Look, Same Film

By Dan Salem

Posted on January 27, 2022

Everything about West Side Story is exquisite except for one thing. There’s literally nothing new about the story or pace of this film. It’s a true remake through and through.

Talk about a makeover! West Side Story has a completely new look and is a beautiful film. The dancing and singing are tremendous, but it still feels too slow at times. This is the same exact film, running the same time as the original and just like the play. While that may appeal to fans on the surface, an opportunity to add drama was missed.

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I loved the classic songs and they felt full of brand new emotion. But why didn’t they cut the slow parts, or add drama to spice them up? West Side Story is all Steven Spielberg, making the movie epic and larger than life in the right ways. But we all know the ending and there’s too much quiet for a movie that only encompasses several days in time.

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You’ll enjoy West Side Story for its music and dance and epic moments. But ultimately I was hoping for something, anything, different in pace and tone of the original. If this movie had never been made, then this version would be iconic. Yet, that’s not the case.

I highly recommend West Side Story if you love the original movie and/or play. This is a great remake, but a true remake. Share with me your thoughts and make sure you watch our quick review.

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Meet Our Host:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor, Writer, and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s a published author, as well as an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X and Instagram.

West Side Story Photo Credits: Cherwell.org and Deadline and Disney

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