Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptations (2002-Present)
Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptations (2002-Present)
#1Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptations (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 7:53pm
I was bored last night and decided to rank the the reception of the movie musical adaptations from Chicago until now. I am using Rotten Tomatoes as a guide. If you prefer Metacritic, sorry.
Here's the ranking
1. Hairspray - 91%
2. Chicago - 87%
3. Sweeney Todd - 86%
4. Dreamgirls 78%
5. Into The Woods - 72% (currently)
6. Les Miserables - 70%
7. Mamma Mia - 54%
8. Jersey Boys - 53%
9. The Producers - 51%
10. Rent - 46%
11. Rock of Ages - 41%
12. Nine 37%
13. The Phantom of the Opera - 33%
14. Annie (2014 remake) - 29%
Thoughts:
No surprise - Annie is on the bottom. I was pretty shocked to see that Hairspray has a higher percentage than Chicago. I remember Hairspray being well-liked, but I had forgotten the critics liked it THAT much. After all, Chicago was a major Oscar winning event, making most of these adaptations possible. Also, nice to see Sweeney Todd in third place. I know musical theater fans were and are pretty tough on that movie, but the critics were quite fond of it.
In terms of critical reception, It's interesting to see Woods and Les Mis so close to each other, especially given that the theater fan reception of Woods seems more enthusiastic than it was and is for Les Mis.
The large gap between between 1-6 and 7-14 isn't too surprising, as 7-14 weren't received very well by fans or critics.
Thoughts on the rankings? If you've seen them all, how would you rank them from best to worst?
Updated On: 12/26/14 at 07:53 PM
#2Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 7:58pm
Thanks for the list, ljay!
Ugh, can't believe HAIRSPRAY got a warmer reception than pretty much half of the movies on that list. I know people are keen on the movie but I guess it's not my cup of tea, at all. Crazy that unwatchable things like ROCK OF AGES and THE PRODUCERS had critics split down the middle, bet if you polled them now, the percentages would be much lower.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#2Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 8:02pmPeople seem to be rough on Sweeney Todd now but when it was released the buzz here if I recall correctly from reading previous threads was generally very positive. I think it is by far the best musical on this list and a great adaptation so I think its critical praise is highly deserved.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Fantod
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/3/14
#3Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 8:21pmI love Chicago and Jersey Boys, liked Hairspray, and thought Annie was cute. The others aren't worth mentioning.
TexanAddams18
Stand-by Joined: 7/19/11
#4Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 8:25pmThe 2011 Footloose got 71%. Better than Les MIs?? I think not...
romain2
Featured Actor Joined: 12/16/10
#5Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 8:37pm
Thanks for your thread--I was interested in doing my own personal investigation. When I clicked on the "Top Critics" option on the Rottentomatoes page for Into the Woods, and it jumps up significantly to 86%, Hairspray leaps up to 96%!
Most films go up when you click the "Top Critics" option but Mamma Mia! drops down to 44% and Les Miz goes down to 57%. Annie falls to 16%. The Producers and Rent take huge plunges down, too, falling 19 percentage points each when you click on "Top Critics." Whoa!
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#6Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 8:39pmToo bad you didn't go back to 2001 to include the awesome Hedwig movie.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
#7Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 8:41pm
I chose to start with Chicago because it majorly rejuvenated the adaptations of stage musicals.
Updated On: 12/26/14 at 08:41 PM
#8Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 8:42pm
I love Chicago and Jersey Boys, liked Hairspray, and thought Annie was cute. The others aren't worth mentioning.
of course not. because y'know, u said so....
[insert eye roll here]
#9Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 8:48pm
I was disappointed with Sweeney, but only because Depp and Carter's lack of vocal ability annoyed me. As a film it was shot well, looked great, and captured the vibe of the piece.
....but the world goes 'round
Updated On: 12/26/14 at 08:48 PM
#10Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 9:20pmI like most of those movies but I can rewatch Hairspray & Dreamgirls over-and-over. They're so good, for different reasons.
Bwaydide92
Leading Actor Joined: 5/16/12
#11Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 9:27pmHairspray was one of the biggest pieces of s**t I have ever seen. It was one of the first musicals I can remember heavily using synthesized music. The acting was terrible. Who let John Travolta around a musical? And Adam Shankman has proven that with Hairspray and Rock of Ages that he can ruin a great musical and make one that's fun at least boring as hell. I hope they don't let him do that again.
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#12Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 9:32pmOk
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
#13Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 9:44pm
HAIRSPRAY
DREAM GIRLS ...are both rated too high IMHO...having seen both in their original Broadway productions i was left feeling flat after seeing the movie versions...but i am glad SWEENEY is rated highly...and as i discovered the Rotten Tomatoes average comes actually in 2 parts...top critics/fans...( i stand corrected i mean 2nd and 3rd tier critics are in the second ratings...cyber nerds i call them...)with ITW the top critics actually give the movie a 85% approval...i would be curious to know the top critics score for LEZ MIS and SWEENEY...
but thanks for the post...
Updated On: 12/26/14 at 09:44 PM
#14Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 9:46pmThe audience/fan score is actually separate. The main score is comprised of reviews by top critics and second/third tier critics and bloggers.
#15Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 9:47pm
Ranked by how much I enjoyed them
1. Les Miserables
2. Into The Woods
3. Chicago
4. Hairspray
5. Everything else
6. Sweeney Todd
TexanAddams18
Stand-by Joined: 7/19/11
#16Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 9:49pm
Broadway Baby,
The top critics score for les mis was 57 and for sweeney 88
#17Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 9:52pmthx Texan...the top critics really hated the direction that the director took with LES MIZ and all those damn close-ups i guess...
#18Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 10:03pmLES MIS is one of those that I dislike more and more each time I see it and the more time passes. It's just incredibly uninspired, and it sheds light on what's actually a pretty weak (if very crowdpleasing) musical. I go back and forth on SWEENEY TODD, but I have always thoroughly disliked the Anthony/Johanna storyline which suffers from atrocious casting and a complete lack of interest from Burton. I also can't help but picture like 15 other actresses who would have made a better Mrs. Lovett (I rewatched BILLY ELLIOT today and couldn't help but think how brilliant Julie Walters would have been in the role).
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#19Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 11:41pm
I haven't seen Into The Woods yet and don't plan on seeing Jersey Boys soon, but here are my personal rankings (not like it matters but just personally):
Chicago
Dreamgirls
Les Miserables
Hairspray
Mamma Mia
Nine
Sweeney Todd
The Phantom of the Opera
Rent
The Producers
Rock of Ages
Annie (2014 remake)
"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop
#20Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/26/14 at 11:49pm
I personally think Into the Woods is the best musical film adaptation to come along in a long time. I vastly preferred it over to any of the most recent adaptations. I thought Les Miserables was extremely disappointing, and the living singing did nothing for me besides make the film vastly underwhelming.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
Updated On: 12/26/14 at 11:49 PM
#21Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/27/14 at 12:08amIt is surprising that HAIRSPRAY was critically lauded but it was largely ignored by the Academy Awards. Plus I agree 100% agree with you bwayphreak234, INTO THE WOODS is the best adaptation of a musical in DECADES; it's right up there with the Golden Age of musical films for me.
#22Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/27/14 at 4:26am
I agree so much with ray-andallthatjazz about Les Miz's value depreciating with each successive viewing. I absolutely loved it in the theater (and saw it three times), but as soon as I got it home on DVD it wasn't nearly as good and I've tried two separate additional times to watch it...the first I got about 40 minutes in and couldn't take it, the final time I couldn't get past Fantine. I'm not sure what happened exactly.
Hairspray and Chicago are both films that I can watch ad nauseum and still love.
Dreamgirls is one that, because I feel like it is longer than life, I've chosen to only watch 4 or 5 times in my life, but I have absolutely loved it every single time. I just wish it was shorter.
Sweeney Todd I hated immensely upon first viewing, but after becoming more familiar with the musical itself, I now appreciate much more. I like to think of it as well-acted, sarcastically sung, and appropriately dark. The singing reminds of the stuff in Nightmare Before Christmas (a little bit, I think...it's a movie that I can't stand although I understand many people love it) and Corpse Bride, so maybe Tim Burton wanted the singing to be that way (because of Danny Elfman).
Mamma Mia was fun but unessential. I enjoyed RENT as a teenager and cannot stand it now. Phantom and Nine are both abominations and should burn in the fiery pits of Mordor. I actually enjoyed The Producers...excepting Uma Thurman, and specifying on John Barrowman as a Nazi. Rock of Ages was just a hot mess: fun at times and hugely embarrassing at others.
Annie, I will not do myself the dishonor of paying to see that as it seems like such a horribly misguided abortion that I can't fathom how it was even produced or why someone would go to the theater to see it.
On the whole, I'm glad musicals are being made, I just wish their executions would be a little...less crappy in general.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
#23Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/27/14 at 7:15am
If I had to rank those same films (with the exception of Jersey Boys, the Annie remake, and Rock of Ages, which I haven't seen), my list would be:
Chicago
Into the Woods
Hairspray
Dreamgirls
Les Miserables
Sweeney Todd
Rent
Mamma Mia
The Producers
Nine
Phantom of the Opera
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#24Ranking the reception of movie musical adaptions (2002-Present)
Posted: 12/27/14 at 7:55am
I haven't seen Into the Woods yet, and I have no interest in the new Annie at all, but here's my short little reviews of the big Stage-to-Screen transfers that happened within the past 12 years:
*Chicago-A very clever adaptation, so glad it won the Oscar and re-launched the Hollywood musical (NOT Moulin Rogue!)!
*The Phantom of the Opera-I used to really like that movie, but when I last watched it, I kept laughing at myself as to why...
*Rent-I've only seen that movie once years ago without any knowledge of the Broadway show but looking at it now, not only was it a big mistake casting the original actors nearly a decade later, but it was such an underwhelming adaptation and a forgettable movie!
*The Producers-I actually did enjoy it for what it was, but I do agree that it definitely served better as a film of the Broadway show than an actual movie.
*Dreamgirls-I had never seen the show on stage before, but I was pretty impressed with the movie.
*Hairspray-A very clever adaptation while still containing the excitement of the musical!
*Sweeney Todd-I thought it was BLOODY BRILLIANT! A very impressive adaptation of what is personally my favorite Sondheim work!
*Mamma Mia!-I personally never liked the show that much, so the movie didn't really do anything for me.
*Nine-It may not be the best on this list, but I actually didn't mind it that much.
*Rock of Ages-It may not be the best movie ever, but I still found it to be entertaining as hell!
*Les Miserables-My personal favorite, I think it's a very misunderstood masterpiece that hopefully like the stage musical (as well as Victor Hugo's novel), it will be looked upon differently in years to come!
*Jersey Boys-I actually thought that movie was much better than what it was given credit for! I thought the cast did a great job, and I also thought Clint Eastwood did something very real with the musical numbers. And I am happy to see that has a 60% from the top critics on Rotten Tomatoes!
