West Side Story
Directed by Steven Spielberg
When young Tony and Maria fall in love in 1957 New York City, their romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks, two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.
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- hairydemonFebruary 1, 2026Fantastic and surprising remake, since I love the original by Robert Wise so much. Just a massive shame on the casting of Tony, AND that he turned out to be rapey in real life. If I was Spielberg, I would do a Lucas and retroactively AI him out with someone new. This is the only reason it loses a star.
- jackmeatAugust 29, 2025My quick rating - 7.1/10. There is no doubt in my mind that Steven Spielberg's eye for direction won't make this a great adaptation. Another #Oscars2022 Best Picture nominee that can be viewed by clicking the poster below. I was very much right about the directing. This looks so good in a way that is hard to explain. The scenes that you may know but are clearly meant to be just single sets still are captured feeling that way, yet have a more reaching and vast look to them. I have no idea how they could make it seem to be both at the same time so well, but it made the scenes look that much better. I know I am not the best person to really review musicals since I cannot really appreciate them whenever they are anything but comedic (I did play Audrey II on stage for Little Shop of Horrors, so that would make sense, me being a giant flesh-eating plant). When they attempt to be serious, I just cannot sink my head into it. Something about arguing over having a gun and dancing around during the conversation just distracts from the point. Sure, this scene has some amazing choreography, as does the entire movie, but as far as the plot? This type of thing has always been a limitation that my head can't wrap around. But if you can, then you will thoroughly enjoy this. Romeo and Juliet have been done many times before, so you know the basic story, not to mention the fact that this is a remake of a thought-to-be untouchable version of the play. So I won't rehash that, but even my opinions aside, I still watched completely entertained. I am sure people who believe "woke" is some new thing are all over this movie (not a new concept in the slightest, people,) so there is a bit of touching about society today mixed in. I personally think this story hit its peak at Tromeo & Juliet, and at that point, poor Juliet's story hit the highest point it can LOL. But as far as musicals go, I don't believe you are going to see too many that can be so technically sound, lavishly filmed, and very much worth Spielberg's attention. It may not be my pick for best picture of the year, but I can surely see why it is nominated.
- Eric BakkeOctober 11, 2024An appropriate remake of an all-time classic that corrects some of the original's transgressions. While I prefer the choreography and vocals of the original, Spielberg's version offers a much more visually and sonically captivating experience. As I walked out of the theater, I found myself torn between the two, and still can't decide which version is the best.
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West Side Story Trivia
West Side Story was released on December 8, 2021.
West Side Story was directed by Steven Spielberg.
West Side Story has a runtime of 2h 36m.
West Side Story was produced by Steven Spielberg, Kevin McCollum, Kristie Macosko Krieger.
When young Tony and Maria fall in love in 1957 New York City, their romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks, two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.
The key characters in West Side Story are Tony (Ansel Elgort), María (Rachel Zegler), Anita (Ariana DeBose).
West Side Story is rated PG-13.
West Side Story is a Musical, Drama, Crime film.
West Side Story has an audience rating of 9.3 out of 10.
West Side Story had a budget of $100M.
West Side Story has made $76M at the box office.