Review of Jersey Boys (2014) by Ulla D — 30 Dec 2014

I got confused in the beginning but once I was able to get the characters straight it was pretty good.

Take the music of "The Four Seasons", a dash of director Clint Eastwood, and a sprinkling of show stopping dance breaks and you've got a perfect recipe for "Jersey Boys", the true story about how the iconic group The Four Seasons became famous.

Four young men from the wrong side of the tracks manage to become famous against all odds. Characters do come to blows, some swearing happens throughout the movie, and we found out what the inspiration was for "Oh What A Night (December 1963)". One violent joke is even played on one character. One character also tragically loses a child. Another character is frequently in and out of jail as well.

Despite all that, both young and old fans of The Four Seasons will appreciate all the toe-tapping numbers, even if the story is hard to follow at times. Despite all the questionable behavior of the characters, there is a strong message about loyalty and determination that audiences are sure to appreciate. John Lloyd Young, who's reprising his role in the movie from the original Broadway cast, is remarkable as Frankie Valli. As a musical theater actress myself, I have to wonder how he hit all those ridiculously high notes for hours a day!

Anyways, I would recommend this movie for older teens and adults, however, parents certainly can introduce the music to younger children.