What to See this Week (02/18/22)
West Side Story
THE SECOND film adaptation of the 1957 stage musical of the same title, West Side Story follows young Tony and Maria as they fall in love at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their romance unfortunately, fuels the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks — two rival gangs vying for control of the streets. The film features music composed by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Directed by Steven Spielberg with a screenplay by Tony Kushner (based on the 1961 film and the 1957 Broadway musical), it stars Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose. Brian Tallerico of www.rogerebert.com writes, “Kushner and Spielberg have stayed loyal to the play and original film while also making notable changes in a way that makes it fresh and vibrant. And they have staged their production in a way that’s often mesmerizing. One misguided casting decision holds it back from absolute greatness but there are so many breathtaking, perfect sequences in this West Side Story that I suspect it will do what the original did for a lot of people, including this critic who was raised on movie musicals — make them a fan of the entire genre.” Review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer gives the film a score of 93%, while its audience score is 94%.
MTRCB Rating: PG
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE is the next chapter in Ivan Reitman’s 1984 classic. When a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. Directed by Mr. Reitman’s son Jason, the film stars Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Annie Potts, Paul Rudd, Bill Murray, Carrie Coon, Sigourney Weaver, and Dan Aykroyd. The Guardian’s Wendy Ide writes, “Jason Reitman takes the reins of the franchise that his father, Ivan Reitman, launched. And theirs is not the only DNA that’s shared between this film and the ’80s original. Various supernatural entities and a sizeable chunk of plot are either worshipped or pillaged, depending on the level of pre-existing audience goodwill. The film’s main appeal is not what it appropriates from other Ghostbusters pictures, but that it’s a nostalgic nod to the Spielbergian family adventures of the same period.” Film review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer gives it a score of 63%, while its audience score is 94%.
MTRCB Rating: PG
