I went today with my son to see the remake of West Side Story. I'd read several reviews, positive and critical. The show on which the 1961 movie was based was a BIG hit as was the movie. For a decade, high school students performed it. I grew up in those rough New York City streets in the 1950s, in Flatbush, and poor, and tribalism was the norm, including street fights even when not as violent as in the poorest sections of the city.
The remake is almost completely true to the original. The original being drawn from the stage had less production values than the remake, and the remake's set had authenticity, right down to the type of bedspreads that were common in the 1950's.
The original seemed to have some more energy, perhaps because of the more compact limited sets. And the actors seemed younger in the remake, but maybe that's because I'm much older now.
Some of the critics felt that there is some insertions of wokeism in the remake. But, the original had that basic message too: get over being hostile and fighting over racism born out of grappling for a piece of the American pie. Instead striving to raise out of poverty is the positive side of the message, contrary to the socialist denigrating of opportunity.
It's up to you what you see. My high school son liked it, and he is not a musical movie type but a Marvel action type.
I'll give it an 8 1/2 Vs the 10 of the original. That's a lot better than the drivel Hollywood usually spews today.
