BWW DVD Reviews: JERSEY BOYS is Fun & Fascinating

For fans of JERSEY BOYS, today is the day you have been waiting for because the film adaptation of the smash hit musical is now in stores. Available in a standard widescreen DVD version (with an SRP of $28.98) and a Blu-ray Combo Pack (with an SRP of $35.99), the fascinating film is directed by Clint Eastwood. John Lloyd Young reprises his Tony Award-winning portrayal of Frankie Valli. Erich Bergen stars as Bob Gaudio, with Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi, Vincent Piazza as Tommy DeVito, and Christopher Walken as mobster Gyp DeCarlo.

The only time I saw JERSEY BOYS on stage was when the production toured through Houston, TX, and I was no fan. The music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons naturally took center stage, and the book seemed tacked only so they could sell the show as a musical and not a concert where performers imitated the original legends they portrayed. For the film, the music is an integral part; however, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice have expanded the book some and Clint Eastwood deftly directs to ensure that we really connect with the characters as people. Yet, the plot devices with Francine and Frankie Valli's break-up with Lorraine still feel underdeveloped, and are not as emotionally effective as they could be. By this point, both the film and stage show are barreling towards their finales and seem to add in these scenes just to show that Frankie Valli had more issues to resolve than just Tommy DeVito's massive mob debts.

As Frankie Vallie John Lloyd Young delivers rousing renditions of all of the classic hit songs in addition to a nicely nuanced portrayal of the man. In the supporting role, Erich Bergen knows how to defer to John Lloyd Young; however, his portrayal of Bob Gaudio is wonderfully crafted and my favorite part of the whole film. Vincent Piazza's Tommy DeVito is performed with charisma, making him likeable despite his flaws. Michael Lomenda crafts his Nick Massi with precision and powerfully owns the scene where we walks away from Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons in Gyp DeCarlo's home. Christopher Walken delivers a smooth talking, always-calm mobster as Gyp DeCarlo. Other standout roles include Renee Marino as Mary Delgado, the salacious hussy with a brain who becomes Frankie's first wife, and Mike Doyle's charming Bob Crewe.

The Blu-ray version features gorgeous 1080p High Definition picture and audio in 5.1 Dolby Digital. It also comes with the film on DVD and a code to redeem a digital HD version of the film. The Blu-ray also has three special features: "From Broadway to the Big Screen," which follows the musical from its early roots to Clint Eastwood's film, "Too Good To Be True," which features Donnie Kehr (Norm Waxman) discussing working with Christopher Walken, and "'Oh, What a Night' To Remember," which gives an inside look into the filming of the film's finale. The Standard DVD edition only has "'Oh, What a Night' To Remember" as a special feature.

Even though I have not been a fan of the show on stage, I found the film adaptation of JERSEY BOYS to make for an entertaining and altogether enjoyable film. With less emphasis placed on the hit parade of infectious and unforgettable music, the film lets the story take precedence, and that works for a majority of the movie. The first hour, where it charts the boys becoming stars, feels like it drags a little, and the breaking of the fourth-wall direct addresses to the audience take some getting used to in the medium of film. Despite this, and despite the R rating for "language throughout," I feel certain JERSEY BOYS will make for fun, family entertainment for all who are mature enough to handle a plethora of F-bombs and a few other coarse words.

Warner Brothers' Warner Home Video released JERSEY BOYS as a Blu-ray Combo Pack and on DVD on November 11, 2014. The film can be purchased from Amazon, iTunes, and elsewhere movies are sold.

To post a comment, you must register and login.