What A Waste!

Rating: 2/10 (10 January 2002)

No doubt about it: This movie is gorgeous. But all the fancy director's tricks, the magnificant sets and costumes, the splendid screen presence and chemistry of its main characters and Ewan McGregor's voice can't mask a weak script, little character development, and very little good music to call its own. (I mean, if you're going to rip-off someone else's hits, make sure you can do them one better.) This is strictly eye candy. Not only is much of the music awful (we were laughing hysterically for a couple of days as we sang a few words from one of them at my house), but also the choreography is uninspiring (just take a few looks at "Singin' In The Rain".) The one fine, original song was the ensemble piece sung when the cast was trying to sell its production to the buyer. As a long-time fan of musicals, I was disappointed and even angry at the waste of talent in this film. No doubt about it: The best film musicals of the past decade or so have been Disney-animated films. Just on the basis of music alone, this falls far short of the high standards set by Howard Ashman (may he rest in peace), Alan Mencken, Tim Rice, and Elton John. Want to enjoy Moulin Rouge? Then turn off the sound.