If there were 10 other musicals in the past few years for comparison, I'm not sure where Newsies would place. But as it is, this is the only game in town — and it's quite entertaining most of the way.
Newsies (1992)
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Reviews Counted:22
Fresh:7
Rotten:15
Average Rating:4.5/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
Synopsis: The 1899 New York newsboys' strike is the subject of this full-scale musical set against a stylized backdrop depicting turn-of-the-century New York City. In a series of rousing song and dance... The 1899 New York newsboys' strike is the subject of this full-scale musical set against a stylized backdrop depicting turn-of-the-century New York City. In a series of rousing song and dance routines, choreographer/director Kenny Ortega chronicles the "newsies'" struggle with publishing mogul Joseph Pulitzer, their battering at the hands of strikebreakers, and their eventual triumph over the powerful newspaper establishment. [More]
Starring: Robert Duvall, Ann-Margret, Michael Lerner, Kevin Tighe
Starring: Robert Duvall, Ann-Margret, Michael Lerner, Kevin Tighe, Bill Pullman, Charles Cioffi, Christian Bale, David Moscow, Luke Edwards, Max Casella, Jo Ann Harris, Ele Keats
Director: Kenny Ortega
Director: Kenny Ortega
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Release:
Jan 15, 2002
Reviews for Newsies
It's a bit of a throwback and a solid family film and, at the time, represented a well-intentioned leap of faith of the sort that studios rarely take.
If you have a soft spot for feisty, back-talking bambini with cute squints, backwards caps and names like Crutchy, Dutchy and Bumlets, your heart will melt.
This is primarily a children's movie and I have a hard time working up much rancor against a movie as campily perverse as this one is. I sat through the whole thing in open-mouthed wonder.
There are only about six songs, so the viewer is generally thinking straight drama when a character or group of characters starts acting funny and with a jolt the viewer realizes they are going into a song.
Making his directorial bow, choreographer Kenny Ortega strains valiantly to breathe life into this misguided musical.
People need heroes and uplifting tales, I suppose, but why alter history to give them to the masses?
Its intentions seem fairly modest, and so are its achievements. It's a modestly enjoyable diversion.
Although the material does indeed involve young protagonists, no effort is made to show their lives in a way today's kids can identify with. This movie must seem as odd to them as a foreign film.
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
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