West Side Story (1961) (Movie Review)

    Internet trolls now days love to complain about new movies that borrow similar story ideas from other films. When “Avatar” came out in 2009, it didn’t matter that is was a technical achievement, or an original experience, all that mattered was how similar the story was to other films like “Dances with Wolves” ... which it was, but that didn’t make it bad by any means. It’s true that some movies can come off as uninspired rehashes of better movies. However, we also tend to forget that some of Hollywood’s most beloved classics have taken huge inspiration, and influence from other sources. Case and point, the 1961 musical “West Side Story” is pretty much the strait forward story of “Romeo and Juliet”, just in a different setting, time period, and with musical numbers ... yet, it stands apart, and in many ways is even superior to what inspired it.

   Not only is “West Side Story” largely considered a classic, but also better than most real versions of “Romeo and Juliet”, and one of the most iconic of Shakespeare’s big screen adaptions. It’s that rare case in which the story isn’t original at all, but the experience, style and direction are as unique and special as they get. It was such a success that over the years, other artist have tried to create their own “West Side Story”, but usually with mixed results. For example, in 1994 Disney animated studio’s aimed to create their own “West Side Story” in the form of a little film titled “Pocahontas”. Seriously, while the setting and time period is different, the story and series of events are eerily similar, right down to some of the song numbers. However, this isn’t a review of “Pocahontas”, so let’s not get side tracked, and focus on “West Side Story”.  

    The time period is mid 1950’s, the place is New York, and the situation revolves around a turf war in the slums of Manhattan. A small group of juvenile young Americans called “The Jet’s” aren’t happy sharing the streets with a second group of juvenile young men from Portuguese called “The Sharks”. Meanwhile, the local authorities want them to chill and learn to get along. 

Both teams soon find themselves attending a party, in which one of the leaders of the Jets named Tony meets a girl named Maria, who’s the sister of the leader of the Sharks. Without batting an eye, the two fall in love, and are determined to start a new life together. As their relationship grows, conflicts between the two teams get worse, which leads to bloodshed, tragedy, betrayal and two young lovers trying to do all in their power to stop the fighting. All the familiar stamps of “Romeo and Juliet” are very recognizable, from the party, to recreating the balcony scene, to the rumble between the two opposing groups, to the tragic ending, etc. However, director Robert Wise adds his own unique and dazzling style to the experience, which makes the film feel original despite a familiar narrative. One of my favorite scenes is when Maria and Tony first meet at the party, everyone in the background gets distorted while our two lovers are the only ones in focus. Not only does this look great, it also illustrates how the rest of the world is slowly fading away from them now that they’ve found each other. 

    Let’s talk about the cast, who all stand bright and tall in this film. A young Richard Beymer plays our love struck male lead Tony, and it's amusing to look back on him in this prior to his television success ... namely with the 1990 TV series "Twin Peaks". Maria is played by Natalie Wood, and she is excellent as always. 

Ever sense I first saw “Miracle on 34^th Street”, the late Natalie Wood has been one of my favorite actresses, and she continued to impress in other films like “The Great Race”. Her role as Maria is just as memorable and charming as her performances get, and she owns every scene she’s in. Another stand out actress is Rita Moreno as Marina’s best friend Anita. This character was actually more compelling and interesting then our two lovers, as she’s trying to find her place among her devotion to her best friend or the lead member of the Sharks, who she’s in love with. Rita Moreno’s performance was so strong that she won an Oscar for best supporting actress. This was apparently a winning film for foreign supporting players, because the Sharks leader Bernardo is played with equal class by George Chakiris, and he likewise won the Oscar for best supporting actor. Another stand out character for me is the Jets leader Riff, played by Russ Tamblyn. This guy is chalk full of charisma, and it’s just a real joy whenever he’s on screen. The remaining performances are all very good, but the characters fall into the standard “okay” category. 

     
   I really like how both the Jets and the Sharks have their positives and their faults. Neither team is perfect, and neither team is all bad. Despite some small differences, they’re both just as rebellious, and that makes it harder for the audience to root for one team over the other. The Jets seem like the team with the most personality and charm, but they strike some low blows that really question their characters. There’s a scene when they gang-up on Anita when she’s just trying to help, and while the Jets don’t rape her, it still feels like a disturbing violation, and puts these characters in a bad place. I think it was a very smart idea to make the conflicts revolve around gang violence, because I feel that it has a lot more relevance in this day and age as opposed to the conflicts in the original “Romeo and Juliet”, which just involved two homes that didn’t get along. The only thing dated about this is some of the street lingo from the two teams. The way they talk, move and hold themselves while on screen definitely feels like a style of the time period, but it still fits within the tone and contents of the film. 

Of course I can’t review a musical without talking about the musical numbers, which are all classic. If you’re a fan of popular Broadway style music, you may already recognize these songs without even seeing the film. If you were to bring up a random song number like “Maria", you could easily follow up with its famous lyrics, which are “Maria … I just met a girl named Maria”. Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics, and he knows how to write memorable songs that stick with you. The song "Somewhere" for example has been ingrained in my mind as a memorable number that balances themes of sorrow with an overarching theme of hope. The set pieces are all great, and the players all become one with their surroundings whenever a dance number begins. Jerome Robbins exuberant choreography is another one of the films key ingredients which gives this musical character. However, if I had to make one small complaint, it would be that the melody and tempo of these songs are less memorable. The song number “America” for example features one of the films best set pieces, and it’s a stand out dance number, but while I remember the scene, I won’t be humming the song after word.

   Don’t get me wrong, Leonard Bernstein’s score is excellent, and it definitely holds your attention while listening or watching this musical. Yet, for me personally, it’s the lyrics and staging that really stick with me as opposed to the melody and rhythm of the songs themselves. 

Other musicals like “Singing in the Rain” and “Rent” also have memorable songs, but they also have extremely catchy melodies that stick with me long after I’ve watched them. Now, there are some select songs in “West Side Story” that have their catchy tunes. The song “Gee, Officer Kruke” stands out with a catchy tempo to go along with the lyrics, which is surprising, because it honestly isn’t even one of the better songs in the film. My favorite song number by far, which captures the music, staging, visuals and melody perfectly is the second version of the song “Today”. With the sunset backdrop, the two teams marching to their biggest brawl, the tension building, and the sharp edits between all the different characters, it’s arguably the films stand out moment that always comes to mind first when I think of this musical. This scene was also one of the many influences for Disney’s “Pocahontas”, as that film had a similar song number with two rival groups approaching one another, and sharp edits between all the different characters.

    

   "West Side Story" was also one of those special musicals to sweep the Academy Awards. It was nominated for best writing, and won ten Oscars overall ... including Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Music, Best Director (or directors in this case), and naturally it won the Academy Award for Best Picture. 

Overall, I’d say “West Side Story” has aged very well, and has earned its status as a classic. I've generally loved musicals for years, and this is one of the few old-time musicals that feels just as entertaining and engaging to experience as our contemporary musicals. I was actually hesitant to even give this film a review, because the movie itself says everything while you’re experiencing it. So the heck with my review, just watch the film, and trust me when I say, it’s worth seeing whether you’re a fan of musicals or not. I’ll never forget when I was first introduced to this movie in a High school film class. It just captured my imagination, and helped inspire me to both review and analyze the art of film. What else can I say, the songs are timeless, the sets are great, the choreography is tight, and the whole production stands as a testament to old stories brought to life in new, and original ways.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1961 musical classic “West Side Story” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you love.   

My Top 10 Favorite Animated Couples

NOTE: This post has sense been UPDATED for 2019 content. 

It’s the month of Valentines, the season of love, and for today’s list I’m counting down my own personal top 10 favorite couples featured in animated movies or TV shows. From popular Disney couples to anime couples, I’ll do my best to cover a variety, and in the end it’ll all lead to what I honestly consider to be the best couple to ever come from the world of animation.


 #10 Rapunzel and Flynn from “Tangled” (Disney Movie & series) 

   Disney couples can be hit or miss, but when they do something really good, it stands out like a jewel among coins. One of their more recent couple's from Disney’s hit “Tangled” is one of their more unique and enjoyable. While obviously not the first Disney film to tip the classic romantic formula on it's head, it’s still the one that I feel has the most charisma, and charm at the center. One is a girl who's been locked away from the world, while the other is a thief who's directly avoiding the world, and has disappeared in a character of his own making. Naturally, it takes a shared adventure to bring these two lost people into the light, and a special relation is born. What's more, their romance is given the opportunity to develop even further through an animated TV series, and in the end, they become one of the most well rounded Disney couples. Their both just infectiously likable, funny, charming, and its Disney romance at its best ... well, one of the best.        

#9 Sakura and Li from “Cardcaptors” (TV Series & Movies) 

  What is it about “Young Love” that just gets me in the “feels”? I don’t know, there’s just something really sweet about a love that starts at a young age. Sakura and Li looked like your average elementary school students, but secretly they were mystical young warriors that protected their home town from magical auditees, which had a tendency to spring up, and ruin their regular day. At first they were rivals competing for respected titles, but over time, they became partners in saving the world, then became best friends, and by the time the final movie came along to close the series ... their young hearts became one. Now, “Cardcaptors” was something special that I personally grew up with, and this list just wouldn’t feel complete for me without including these two. Sakura is about as cute and lovable as young heroines get, which balances off of Li’s stern heroism. They may not be that popular when compared to any of those Disney couples, or as deep as the lovers featured in most of Hayao Miyazaki’s landmark Anime movies, but their warm chemistry, and built up relation made them something special.  


#8 Bruce Wayne and Andrea Beaumont from “Batman Mask of the Phantasm” (Movie) 

   Relationships with superhero’s are never without an undercurrent of remorse. Well, at least Superman and Spider-Man can still hold onto their trade mark girl friends, despite all the complications. Batman on the other hand isn’t so fortunate. He’s had his on and off again relations, but it’s his first love interest Andrea Beaumont that stands as the most beautiful, yet most tragic of his many relationships. This was the girl who almost pulled Bruce Wayne out of the shadows, she was his one shot at a normal life, but sadly just couldn’t hold onto. Batman may frequently save the day, but she was the one person he failed to rescue ... from herself. Their story adds another layer of depth and intrigue to the legacy of the dark knight, which most people aren’t even aware of. Aside from being a tragic spectacle, they do still have chemistry, their individual scenes are genuinely touching, and they even capture the subtle moments that I wish more live action movie couples could have. The movie “Batman Mask of the Phantasm” is a beautiful, tragic romance story combining the hopes and dreams of a good life with the darkness of reality, and it’s an animated couple that deserves more attention. 

     

#7 Max and Roxanne from “A Goofy Movie” 

   Speaking personally, my first real relationship with a girl started during my mid-High school years, and it's a time that I look back on with great fondness, as the years I first experienced a romantic connection with someone special. Max and Roxanne's relationship from “A Goofy Movie” is almost a perfect mirror image of that special, romantic time in high school, and they just get me feeling all nostalgic. Putting that aside, the two are just a plain adorable young high-school couple. 

I love that even though Roxanne is supposed to fill the role of the popular, good looking high-school girl, she's also shy, nervous, and just as awkward as Max himself, which leads to some delightful interplay. While the real heart of the movie is the relationship between a father and son, it's great that the filmmakers took the time to create a genuinely lovable young couple. No joke, their individual moments get so adorable, I just want to bundle them up in their own bundle of "cute". Never failing to put a smile on my face, and always taking me right back to my own romantic high-school memories, Max and Roxanne might just be the greatest animated Disney couple that regular viewers don't know about.       

#6 Aang and Katara from “Avatar the Last Airbender” (TV Series) 

  Oh boy, here I go again, highlighting two very young lovers that start off with opposite personalities, but after embarking on a grand journey together, a relationship is born, and ... well, I’m just as sucker for this. Aang has the heart of a grown warrior, but the personality of an extremely joyful child. Then by contrast, Katara has the mind-set of a wise adult, but she still has the heart of a young woman. In short, these two complete one another perfectly, have great chemistry, and have some really cute moments. Also, animated or not, I always tend to gravitate to couple’s from TV shows, because I feel like I’m going on the journey with them, experiencing all the highs and lows, and in the end, it’s just more gratifying to see them come together. Of course, I’m a long time fan of “Avatar the Last Airbender”, so this was one couple I just couldn’t leave off, even if I tried.    
       

#5 Belle and Beast from “Beauty and the Beast” (Disney Movie) 

   Of all the classic Disney couples to make my list, I’ll bet your surprised to see Belle and the Beast. It’s often regarded as the most romantic animated movie ever made, with the best romantic couple of all time, and it’s well deserving of that reputation. It’s so famous, I don’t even need to talk about it, just listen to that classic “Beauty and the Beast” song and fall in love for this movie and these characters all over again.

#4 Robin and Star Fire from “Teen Titans” (TV Series & Movie) 

  Of the many different superhero couples and relations I’ve either watched or grew up with, nothing brought me more joy or held my interest more than these two young Titans. One is an alien princess, while the other is a famous side kick to an equally famous super hero, and somehow, despite being polar opposites, they both just work. It’s often said that opposites attract, and here’s why ... they complete each other. 

Both are heroes, yet they both have their faults. Robin can be a real “hot head”, where as Star Fire can be a real “air head”. It’s Robin’s job to be the educator to this alien visitor who’s trying to find her place in the world. Then by contrast, Star Fire serves as Robin’s moral compos, and aims him in the right direction when he’s facing his inner demons. Together they’ve had their cute and funny moments, but they’ve also had their fair share of dark and serious conflicts. In the end, their just an all around awesome superhero couple that have always stood out in my impressionable and nostalgic memory.     

   

#3 Anastasia and Dimitri from “Anastasia” (Don Bluth Movie) 

   One of my favorite set-ups for a couple is when they start off as two strangers that find themselves roped into a journey together, and through a series of events, they gradually form a relationship ... as opposed to the common falling in love on site cliché. Don Bluth’s “Anastasia” followed this formula down to the letter, and then added an extra ingredient of charm, hummer and charisma into the mix. Both Anastasia and Dimitri exchange sassy remarks with one another, are chalk full of personality, and the voice acting provided by Meg Ryan and John Cusack is pitch perfect. They just have no shortage of witty banter, making them one of the most entertaining and funny animated couples I’ve ever seen. Then when all the wise cracks are said and done, they do ease their way into the more traditional romance we’d expect from a film of this sort. 

They also play around with conventions, and give us some refreshing surprises. There’s a moment when the two have that classic “misunderstanding” that would normally separate the couple, but one of our two hero’s is committed to resolving it as quickly and as professionally as possible ... which he does. I’ve always hated how in other films the “misunderstanding” is just used as an excuse to separate the characters, which just leads to them moping and doping until the end of the film. “Anastasia” breaks through that convention, and gives it some meat. Finally, their theme song “At The Beginning” is personally one of my favorite romantic songs to come from an animated feature, and it perfectly sums up the journey we embarked on with these two terrific characters.

#2 Hiccup and Astrid from the “How to Train your Dragon” Franchise (Movies & TV Show) 

  DreamWorks 2010 animated movie “How to Train your Dragon” is personally one of my favorite movies ... animated or not, and it’s grown into a fantastic long running series of theatrical squeals, short films and TV shows. One of the franchises many great strengths is its cast of characters and their individual relationships. The relation between father and son is great, the relation between pet dragon and rider is excellent, and of course the romance between the two young Vikings Hiccup and Astrid is just perfect. In the movies, their romance is admittedly more a side point, but it really works, and adds that an extra layer of appeal to the series. By keeping the romance on the side-line allowed our two Viking hero’s to just breathe, and have a relationship that develops naturally without any complex drama or added fluff. In a franchise as big and epic as this, a little bit of heart can go a long way. Their relationship is developed further and given more layers in the TV series, and it's here when staring in episodes together that Hiccup and Astrid really shine as one of my favorite animated couples.

On a side note, I think these two share more on-screen kisses then any other animated couple I've ever seen. There's almost too many to count, but it's probably close to twenty. After all the years of movies and episodes they've shared together, I feel like I've gone on a journey with them, and experienced every possible form of romance under the sun with these two. We see them as kids forming their first real feelings for one another, we see them as young adults going out on privet vacations together, they even exchange betrothal gifts ... like, when was the last time an animated couple did that? Finally, at the end of the series, we see them as full grown adults, married and raising kids, bringing the romance full circle. In a franchise chalk full of emotional character connections and strong bonds of friendship, Hiccup and Astrid are just a beautiful couple, and one of my absolute favorites that the world of animation has to offer.   

Before I reveal my #1 favorite, here are my Honorable Mentions ...

Aladdin and Jasmine from “Aladdin”

Anna and Kristoff from “Frozen”

Satoshi and Serena from “Pokémon XY”

Meg and Hercules from “Hercules”

Taki & Mitsuha from "Your Name" 

#1 Carl and Ellie from “Up” (Pixar Movie)

   No matter how good or how charismatic a movie couple can be, they’ll always be restricted to common conventions and formulaic storytelling. Belle and Beasts relation in “Beauty and the Beast” was done masterfully, but it was still part of fairy-tail formula that isn’t that relatable. By contrast, Carl and Ellie from Pixar’s “Up” is that rare case in which a movie couple is as genuine, as relatable, as emotional and as real as they get. There’s no common formula here, no clichéd misunderstandings, no villain that needs to be defeated ... it’s just the story of life. This couple isn’t even the main focus of the film, it’s only relevant for the first 10 minutes of the movie, but in those precious phew minuets, we see the complete story of their relationship from their child hood, to their adult hood, all the way up to their old age, which is a lot more then what other couples could accomplish in big film franchises. 

In the beginning, Carl’s a little shy young boy, while Ellie is an over the top energy-holic. Both different, but both have the same burning passion and drive, which keeps them together. It’s just a genuinely emotional experience watching all the different peaks and vales this couple goes through in their life’s journey. We see the positive moments, we see the tragic events they’ve had to endure, we see when they supported one another ... and (Spoiler Alert) even after one of them sadly passes on, we see how the other preserves their memory and keeps them alive. It’s beautiful, it’s sad, it’s touching, it hits every emotional bulls-eye you could possibly hit, and in my opinion, Carl and Ellie are the greatest animated couple I’ve ever seen. 

 

Thanks for reading my countdown ... and continue to enjoy the movies, shows, and characters you Love!