Overrated as a film

Rating: 6/10 (16 July 2012)

Let's get things straight: this is by no means a bad musical. There are some wonderful numbers- "Make Em' Laugh", "Good Morning", that one where the gal with the long leg dangles a hat in front of Gene Kelly- but the film itself is disappointing. I've always found Gene Kelly too arrogant and annoying to want to watch him as a romantic lead, a bit too uptight to be comic and his dancing's better in An American in Paris. Debbie Reynolds is cute but not earth-shattering. Donald O'Connor is fabulous- he's the reason to watch this film. His talent, particularly for comedy, exceeds Kelly's talents. He's definitely underrated.
I was told that the whole spoofing of the advent of the talkies was hilarious. It's mildly amusing at best. The characters didn't really grab me either. It's a total myth that the story of a musical can get away with being complete fluff. Even if the story's a bit of a stretch (or a lot if it's Brigadoon), it should at least be entertaining. This film really ought to have simply been a revue.
I think that nostalgia and hype may have clouded the judgement of quite a few viewers.