New reviews from The Movie Snob:

The Phantom of the Opera (C+). This is a good rendition of a mediocre musical. Although I am a fan of some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work, Phantom has never really worked for me. It has about three good songs right at the beginning, and the rest of it is pretty forgettable. However, I thought the movie had some strengths, especially the vivid visuals of the various opera productions and the Phantom’s subterranean lair. I’m no judge of vocal talent, but it seemed to me that newcomer Emmy Rossum sang very well as the female lead and that the guy who played the Phantom couldn’t sing well at all. For me, the lackluster songwriting dragged the movie down as it dragged on. If you liked the musical, I think you’ll be pleased with the movie, but I don’t expect the movie to make any converts. It didn’t me.

West Side Story (B). I bought the DVD maybe a year ago and finally got around to watching it. I liked it pretty well. Everyone probably already knows the story, which is basically Romeo and Juliet set in the context of rival gangs in New York City. Tony, a former member of the Jets trying to go straight, falls in love with Maria, the sister of the leader of a Puerto Rican gang called the Sharks. A couple of things stood out about the show. One was its candor about race-relations, which seems ahead of its time considering the movie was released in 1961. And I really enjoyed the song "Officer Krupke," which satirizes the entire juvenile justice system in just a few minutes. It too comes off as way ahead of its time, with its references to judges, psychologists, and social workers who are taken in by juvenile delinquents who pass all blame for their behavior onto their environment. I liked it.