Review of Jersey Boys (2014) by Nathan M — 29 Jun 2014

Or Treble with the Curve...

This was not as bad as I thought it would be, but it wasn't as good as it should have been. Now, I've never seen the original broadway musical, but based on how much it is beloved, I assume it's pretty good. So this film has great source material, that is underutilized in this movie. Thankfully, there are some good performances in the film, and even if the film follows a pretty familiar biopic format, it was pretty enjoyable.

None of the Four Seasons actors are strong enough to really carry the film, but the four together work all right and with frequent visits from Christopher Walken the film limps along. The script, or the direction, could have used some help too. The Scorcesse-esque, turn to the camera, exposition-filled, narrations worked at times, but most of the time felt cheesy and overused. I did appreciate that the film wasn't as over sensationalized as many music biopics tend to be, but that also makes it not as interesting as it could have been, it's a double-edged sword.

But the music is good enough and the story familiar enough that the film is rather enjoyable, even if it's too long. I'm not saying it's great, but it's not terrible either. Most people will enjoy it, so I won't crap on it.