Jersey Boys is clearly a passion project for producer/director Clint Eastwood and although the cast perform admirably enough, I never quite found the feature that engrossing but admittedly, I also don’t have much of a connection with the music or the group, so those who do (older crowd) might get more out of the movie than others.
Jersey Boys
(2014)
Genre(s): Drama, Music
Warner Bros. | PG13 – 134 min. – $35.99 | November 11, 2014
 |
MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Clint Eastwood Writer(s): Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice (musical book)(screenplay) Cast: John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza, Christopher Walken DISC INFO: Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1) |
PLOT SUMMARY
Jersey Boys tells the story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who come together to form the iconic ’60s rock group Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Their trials and triumphs are accompanied by the hit songs that influenced a generation: “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Dawn,” “Rag Doll,” “Bye Bye Baby” and many more. John Lloyd Young (reprising his Tony Award-winning portrayal of lead singer Fankie Valli), Erich Bergen (songwriter Bob Gaudio), Michael Lomendo (Nick Massi) and Vincent Piazza (Tommy DeVito) play The Four Seasons, and Christopher Walken stars as mobster Gyp DeCarla.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.25/5
This release comes with a semi-glossy slip cover. Inside is a redemption code for the Digital Copy and a DVD Copy.
From Brooklyn to the Big Screen (22:57; HD) – Trace origins of Jersey Boys from playhouse roots to award-winning musical to groundbreaking Clint Eastwood.
Too Good to be True (4:51; HD) – The mob loved the boys. Donnie Kelu shares his experience working with Christopher Walken, whose character was like a godfather to Frankie Valli.
“Oh, What a Night” to Remember (5:05; HD) – Hit the streets with Clint Eastwood and the cast as they prepare for the grand finale.
VIDEO – 4.5/5
Jersey Boys takes the stage with an MPEG-4 AVC codec and original theatrical 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and in a 1080p high-definition transfer. For the most part, it’s a good looking transfer with Eastwood, and his DP James J. Murakami, giving that nostalgic feel with an almost rusty glaze. Detail levels, though, are nice and sharp and didn’t notice any signs of artifacts or pixilation.
AUDIO – 4.0/5
The included 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track isn’t outstanding but does excel in places one would expect: the musical numbers and score. Dialogue levels are clear enough but outside of that, and the music, not much else really impresses with side elements being relatively light and only minor audio coming out of the rear channels.
OVERALL – 3.0/5
Overall, Jersey Boys is clearly a passion project for producer/director Clint Eastwood and although the cast perform admirably enough, I never quite found the feature that engrossing but admittedly, I also don’t have much of a connection with the music or the group, so those who do (older crowd) might get more out of the movie than others.
Published: 11/10/2014