The remake nobody asked for..
Lame
shareDoesn’t that apply to most remakes?
shareYes pretty much
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MovieChat Forums > West Side Story (2021) Discussion > The remake nobody asked for..
The post nobody asked for. Lame.
sharePretty good comeback, not great, but pretty good
shareSpeak for yourself. I was hoping someone would create a thread pointing out one of the biggest problems is that nobody wanted a remake of WSS. The Tom Cruise Mummy film had the same problem... people blamed Tom Cruise but the reality is people still fondly remembered the Brendan Fraiser version, and didn't want another "reboot".
And the reality is the WSS remake has the most public opposition since Hollywood insisted on remaking Charlie's Angels in 2019.
The problem is producers are too cheap to pay for a good writer to tell a story so if they can't steal it they remake one they can easily acquire the rights to. Or worse, gamble on some bloated ego of the latest pop star and make whatever they want, how they want, and with whoever they want.
NOBODY wants to pay for good writers. That's what happened to the big 3 networks. They promoted all this live tv crap that isn't live and has no writing crew to pay.
It probably makes no difference considering what IS eventually being written today.
"people still fondly remembered the Brendan Fraiser version"
I didn't bother with that one because I still fondly remembered the Boris Karloff version.
Is the original even beloved though? I just remember it as one of those films that was dumped on TV on Sunday afternoons, that you would flick over to during the ads but was too boring to watch all the way through.
There are certain movies that warrant a remake, because cinema has evolved. King Kong for example, or Godzilla. Never mind that most of those movies sucked, but in principle it was a good idea.
But why remake a musical drama? I think Musicals were actually at their peak from the 40s to the 60s, when you had highly trained actors from who could really sing and dance coming from the theatres to the cinema. As live theatre died and special effects took over from practical performances as the main source of spectacle, I don't think there are people with the skills to make those sorts of movies anymore, Modern iterations just feel bland. Even the successful ones are forgotten about after a couple of years. Does anyone still watch Moulin Rouge?
When the HELL did legitimate theater die? Really, tell me, specifically, because I am calling you out. Do more people go to movies than live theater? Yes. Compare the price of a movie ticket to the price of a theater ticket and you’ll have a big, albeit incomplete, part of the reason for the difference. Live theater has a resilient history dating back centuries. It has been robust for hundreds of years. Movies? Not so much. If Godzilla etc. is your frame of reference, you probably don’t “get it.” West Side Story was LOVED by audiences when it was released, in large part because it was written by Leonard Bernstein, who at the time was a national Treasure because of his Young People’s Concerts TV series that educated children to the wonders of Classical music.
shareThe only thing that one can do if they don't care for Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story is to boycott it, vote their pocketbooks, and not go to see it. That's what I'm doing, and I'm sticking with that plan.
shareWhy, you fool? It's gotten GREAT reviews!
BTW, we have, what, FOUR "A Star is Borns" over the last 80 years, and each had something to offer.
In the first place, DON'T call me a fool!
In the second place, I'm a hell of a lot smarter and more aware of stuff than you and tons of other people care to believe.
Thirdly, imho, all those rave reviews that Spielberg's film version of West Side Story got don't mean a goddamned thing to me. Seriously, I really don't give a s**t about the great reviews that it got.
Fourth: I don't care about "A Star is Born" and how many remakes it's had, nor do I care to see it.
Fifth: I've seen enough of Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story, and heard enough about that Ansel Elgort that I'm voting my pocketbook and not going to see it.
Sixth: Rachel Ziegler's voice is overrated, imho. It's not that good, and her singing in West Side Story was much too far back in her throat, and her sinus passages. She didn't project it forward enough, and it was kind of sour.
Seventh: I'm sticking with my plan/decision NOT to go and see Spielberg's version of West Side Story (the film version of his).
Your opinion which NOBODY ASKED FOR :)
shareSorry to ruin it for you. You have my permission to go prance around to the West Side Story soundtrack.
shareI actually enjoyed it.
Too bad for you :)
You're not a fan of diversity, so that's why you hated it.
If you enjoyed it, that's your prerogative, [email protected]. I'm not a fan of unnecessary remakes of great golden oldie-but-keeper classics such as the old, original 1961 film version of West Side Story and other great classic films.
shareIt's not really a remake of the 1961 movie. It's a cinematic interpretation of the 1950s stage musical, which is exactly what the 1961 film was. Spielberg thought he could add or improve something, so he went ahead and did the story again. Nothing wrong with that; unfortunately, some of what he thought needed adding was wokeness. I have no interest in wokeness, so the simple solution is that I won't go see the new version. Spielberg won't miss my $12.00. Everybody wins.
If you don't think there's anything woke about the new movie, consider the fact that Spielberg didn't provide subtitles because, according to him, that would "give English power over Spanish". It's hard to imagine a more idiotically woke idea.
Ever heard the expression "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."? That applies here perfectly. It would've been one thing if Spielberg had created his own film with the same theory as West Side Story, or at least a similar theory to WSS, but to reboot/remake a film that's already a classic that won ten well-deserved and well-earned Academy Awards, including Best Picture, when it came out into the movie theatres in October of 1961 was sheer naïveté and folly. The reboot/remake of the film version of WSS will never, ever top the original film version.
shareNo actually this was well received by critics and has a good user score. A movie not doing well in the box office is not really a measurement of it's quality. This was actually a remake that was rather solid. Most of the time they fall flat in this case it was well made.
shareI disagree with you here, moviefanatic505! It got a number of really awful reviews, plus I saw parts of it on the TV program that pointed out comparisons between Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story and the old, original 1961 film version of WSS.
I stand by my opinion that it wasn't that well made, and that it's way too modern and too "woke" for my tastes. This sort of "wokeness" is getting old, rather fast.
Check both rotten tomatoes and metacritic. The majority of critics find it to be rather solid. Also the user scores are good as well check rotten tomatoes metacritic and IMDb. So those reviews of thinking it's bad are in the minority. Among the majority it's considered great.
That's fine but just because it's not as good as the original does not mean it's bad by default. Also your mind was made up before seeing it and obviously once you saw the politics you checked out. West side story is by nature a political story really hard to avoid that to a certain degree.
Who the hell cares what rotten tomatoes and metocritic, and other critics say about Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story? I don't--that's for sure! Moreover, I'm not only NOT obliged to always agree with the critics, even if they're in the majority, but I stand by everything else I"ve said, as well.
shareI didn't say you had to care or agree. I was pointing out that when you say oh tons of reviews say it's bad it is untrue. The bad reviews are in the minority. The majority of users and critics think it's a rather solid film. I don't care what you stand by it makes no difference to me whether you love or hate the film. However as it stands you are in the minority. A movie doesn't need to get your stamp of approval in order to be considered great by other people.
shareThe people who dislike the reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story do not have to be in the majority to have an affect on public opinion. A minority, too, can help undermine what the majority says, if they're loud and persistent enough.
Frankly, I could not care less what the majority thinks, or, what you and other big supporters of Spielberg's reboot/remake of the WSS film version.
If the reviews were so wonderful, and the reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story is so wonderful, why is it not doing very well in the box office(s)? There's obviously a reason, and the fact that the new Spiderman film is doing better than the new West Side Story film version is rather indicative of that.
Being loud doesn't help sway the majority. If that was the case any idiot who whines on a message board consistently would do that. Even if they were someone that has a following it wouldn't change the narrative. In his case the minority is not changing how it is seen by the majority. It just burns you up that the majority doesn't validate your view. I don't care for pulp fiction but I would never tell you that it isn't a beloved movie the masses.
And I don't care what you think. The fact that you keep stating this reeks of insecurity. Yes you have your opinion but when you make baseless statements I'm going to call you on it. Compile a list of bad reviews that outweigh the majority if you can't then you claiming there to be a ton was false.
Money is not an indicator of quality. Ever heard of the transformers films? Blade Runner was a box office bomb when it was released. Now it is considered a cinematic classic. Is transformers revenge of the fallen considered a cinematic classic despite grossing tons of money? Poor example bud.
I stand by my opinions of this film, and your statements aren't that great, either. You think that Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story is wonderfully fantastic--well, that's your business. I disagree with you, and we're definitely not on the same page. F**k the majority--I couldn't care less if I'm not on the same page with them.
I personally think, however, that the fact that Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story is not doing well in the box office really does say something right there, and I stand by that opinion. One has to ask why the new "Spiderman" film is doing better than Spielberg's West Side Story film version.
Good for you. Yet again I never once tried to sway your view I corrected a baseless claim you made. You said oh there are tons of bad reviews I then directed you to rotten tomatoes and metacritic. You then go why do I care about that? Um well that is a total score given by critics. So that goes against the narrative you were attempting to push. If the movie had been slammed critically I could easily go there to see if that's true. Unfortunately for you it isn't. Going off how closed minded you are ok going to place more stock in the critics and mass majority than I would a person like yourself. I saw the original before this one, I think this is one of the rare remakes that manages to be rather solid. Love both versions actually I was impressed.
A marvel movie outgrossing a musical? So shocking! I would have never guessed! You think this because you think it validates your dislike of the film. If the film grossed a ton you would say it's because the world has a bunch of woke people in it. I proved my point money is not and indicator of quality.
I stand by my idea that what sells sells, no matter what. Just because the critics you mention (i. e. Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic) gave Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story glowing reviews doesn't mean that they speak for everybody. Moviechat.org gave the new West Side Story a 7.9, which is really not that hot--it's like about a C average. One also has to ask why a film that cost 100 million dollars to make isn't getting back nearly what it cost Spielberg and his crew to create their reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story.
shareYou act as if rottentomatoes and metacritic are one critic's thoughts. The reason I point to them is because it is the total of all professional film critics. It averages out the total and you get the average score. If I had pointed to a single critic giving it a positive review you would have a point in this case you do not. You also just shot yourself in the foot claiming that 7.9 is not that good of a score. The original from 1961 has a 7.5, Titanic has a 7.8. So by your logic that means those were not well received by the mass majority... You and I both know that is not true. So apparently this new film scored better than the old one did, so if the new one is a C what grade does that mean the old one is? Blade Runner was a box office bomb and it has an 8.1. Anything else or do you want to bury yourself further?
shareI stand by what I've said here, moviefanatic505. I'm not obligated to even agree with professional movie critics all the time, and I sure as hell don't here, when it comes to Spielberg's film version of West Side Story. Everybody was so hotdamned excited over Steven Spielberg's reboot/remake of the old, original 1961 film version of West Side Story, which is a classic in itself, that won 10 well-deserved and well-earned Academy Awards, including Best Picture, when it came out into the movie theatres in October of 1961. Everybody was so s**t-a*sed excited over Spielberg's remake of the film version of West Side Story. I've seen enough of it so that I can form an opinion and re-enforce my thought that it should not have been re-
mafe/rebooted at all. Many of the critics, too, became overly optimistic, but the fact that it's not doing so great in the box office says a good deal right there. You think you're so great, and you so want me to think the way you do and say stuff that you prefer to hear, but it's not going to work. Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it, buster.
If Spielberg's West Side Story was that well-received, why is it doing so poorly in the box office?
Lol you got literally embarrassed on every point you attempted to make. Oh it is not doing well in the box office well what about Blade Runner? You then proceed to side step that because you know it contradicts your point. Blade Runner is considered a cinematic classic. Do not believe me go look on rottentomatoes, metacritic and check the user scores on those sites as well as imdb. Box office is not a measurement of quality. If that was the case the Transformers films would be considered classics.
You then tried to say oh there are tons of bad reviews yet you failed to cite a single one. If there are so many why does it have such a high critical score on Rottentomatoes and metacritic? The user score on moviechat is actually higher than the original is. You are in the minority among critics and the mass majority of users. Choke on it.
Is Blade Runner a cinematic classic yes or no? Sometimes it take a little time for movies to be appreciated. Blade Runner was a box office bomb, why if it is so well received did it bomb in the box office?
You're the one who's embarrassing yourself, moviefanatic505, because you're so stubborn about your big ego, and not able to accept differences. there's a reason that the new spiderman movie is doing a hell of a lot better in the box office than Spielberg's West Side Story. Almost nobody wants to see a remake of a great Academy Award-winning classic get made over, and the story told in a different way. It's not doing so great, because many people, including myself, feel that it's totally wrong, forced, unnatural, and not at all like West Side Story. You're putting your opinions on Rotten Tomatoes and Meteoritic. They're not the only ones out there.
shareBoth rottentomatoes and metacritic total up the professional film critic reviews. You know that right?
shareNo, they don't! Come off of the BS, will you. There are other movie critics out there besides Rotten Tomatoes and Meteoritic, and you damned well know it!
shareThere are WAY too many remakes nobody asked for. It gets more and more disgusting watching people in Hollywood try to “improve” or “update” classic films that are fine the way they are.
They are going to try and beat the original “The Exorcist” soon with a pointless remake.
I love when pointless and unneeded cash grab remakes of classic movies fail.
Yup. Remakes/reboots of older classic very seldom, if ever come out well. The reboot/remake of the film version, into, is no exception to that.
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