Rating: 
Summary: Great new look to a classic musical
Review: For many years I have been an avid fan of the 1962 film so when I unwrapped this 2003 version and placed it into my DVD player I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best! I was not disappointed> Mathew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth give delightful performances and the whole look of the sets and costumes is just great! It's a lot less theatrical than the Robert Preston-Shirley Jones rendition but no less entertaining in it's own terms. The singing and dancing is superb and the settings and costunmes just right. I love it!!! Now this does not mean that the 62 DVD is going to be tossed aside! Rather, I think they are great companion pieces giving different looks to what is one of the great musicals. I would thorougly recommend it. So there!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Hideous, Heinous, Horrible
Review: "The Music Man" is one of very few classic Broadway musicals that have been made into classic films. Why someone chose to remake it, to miscast virtually every role, is a mystery to me. I see that there are reviewers who like this version of "The Music Man", even some who prefer it to the original film. Let me put it simply: These people are idiots. If you are one of these people, then you are an idiot. Please, do yourself a favor and get the wonderful original.
Rating: 
Summary: Broderick reinterprets Harold Hill
Review: Comparisons between the 1962 and 2003 versions of the Music Man are inevitable. And such comparisons are going to center on the different approaches that Robert Preston and Matthew Broderick used to create the character of Professor Harold Hill. While many critics have dismissed Matthew Broderick's characterization, I believe that these critics have overlooked a significant interpretation of the Music Man. I like both versions of The Music Man, because they complement each other.Robert Preston interpreted Harold Hill as a fast talking con man who doubled as a sort of Pied Piper. He would lead and the town people would follow right along. It is fun to watch, but also a little confusing. Here are all these stubborn, stiff-necked Iowa folk being gullibly conned left and right. One would think that the citizens of River City wouldn't have agreed to the creation of a Boys Band unless there was something else going on. On the other hand, Broderick's Harold Hill is someone who can somehow appeal to a person's innermost wants and dreams. He isn't fast talking; instead he is able to get them to invoke their own dreams and wants, and he is able to do this because he is trying to realize his own frustrated dreams. In contrast to Preston, Broderick underplays Harold Hill and it works. No where is this interpretation more evident than in the "Marian the Librarian" sequence. Preston's Hill creates havoc in the library by behaving like a Pied Piper and everyone else is swept up in the process. Even Shirley Jones' Marian is temporally swept away. Broderick's Hill mesmerizes Kristin Chenoweth's Marian so that she invokes her dream in an unusual interlude in this number. It works because Broderick's Hill isn't trying to con her into something; he is trying to awaken her hopes and dreams. The "Trouble in River City" sequence also highlights this different interpretation of Harold Hill. Robert Preston invokes the atmosphere of a Religious Revival, whereas Broderick jumps from place to place (the barber shop, the ladies hat shop, the street, etc) planting the idea into everyone's head. Once you understand this approach, then other things in the 2003 version of the Music Man make a lot of sense. Unlike the 1962 version where Marian changes her mind because Hill has made Winthrop happy with an instrument; the 2003 version Marian changes her mind because she understands that by realizing Winthop's dreams her brother will come out of his shell. Moreover, in this context, Marian's monologue of why she is glad Hill came to town, even though he is a swindler, makes more sense. Having said all this, the 1962 version is more polished. The editing is crisp. The supporting cast is difficult to beat: Buddy Hackett, Hermonone Gingold, Paul Ford, Ron Howard, and even Mary Wicks! But there are still some things about the 2003 version that I think are superior to the 1962 version. The 1962 version edited the "My White Knight" song, whereas Kristin Chenoweth gives us the full version. The dance sequences in the 1962 version are very tight and invoke a sort of Busby Berkeley production. I prefer the 2003 dance sequences because you actually get to see more of the feet, body, and arm movement that were sacrificed in the 1962 production. One last point, you can understand the lyrics in the 2003 version a lot better.
Rating:
Summary: Why in the world???
Review: Granted Matthew Broderick is a great actor of today, his portrayal of Professor Harold Hill in the TV Film version of Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" fell extremely short of the hype made about it before its broadcast this past fall. I know that you can't really do Robert Preston and Shirley Jones that well, although Kristen Chenoweth did an excellent job. I just find it hard to overlook the younger days of Matthew Broderick and "Ferris Bueller" type acting. He seemed to excel so greatly in that that his career was almost doomed for the future. Aside from Ferris Bueller, can anyone name a hit movie that he starred in where he did a great job and stayed away from the mannerisms and attitudes of Ferris Bueller, or even ANY movie for that matter at all? This is not a complete bashing of Matthew Broderick. I did enjoy it...for the first few minutes until he started to sing. I don't believe that the producers should have made him suffer through that and in turn make the audiences across America suffer through the movie as well. I pray that he will be able to find some quality work and stay of "Trouble"!
Rating:
Summary: Terrible version of great classic
Review: I have given Matthew Broderick 1 star for trying, but he didn't. His facial expressions during the great musical numbers are like looking at a wall, boring & never moving. What was with the Kristin Chenoweth & Broderick ballet in the library in "Cinderella" costumes. Come on! One of the worst movies I've seen in a long time. I reccommend the original "The Music Man" with the fabulous team of Robert Preston & Shirley Jones, with the late Buddy Hackett and Hermione Gingold. See the original version. So much more lively, fun, and INTERESTING!
Rating:
Summary: Captivated Kids!
Review: Out kids are captivated! We love this DVD. While we cannot compare this to the original, this one is one of the kids favorites. Highly recommended from this family.
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe yes and maybe no
Review: The 2003 Disney remake of the classic Broadway and film musical is a good effort but falls a little short. Pacing of the dialogue in several spots seems rushed and deadpanned, as if the director wanted to squeeze the whole script into a pre-ordained TV time slot, and the actors just rattled off their lines without emotion or proper timing. Disney used real outdoor settings for many scenes to strive for an authentic look and feel of 1912 Iowa. However, the inclusion of numerous blacks when even today Mason City is overwhelmingly white just made them appear to be politically correct rather than authentic. As such, in some ways it reflects modern culture more than that which it purports to represent, like Arthurian romance reflects ideals of the 12th century Europe in which they were written instead of the reality of 5th century Britannia. Also lost in the translation is awareness of other cultural elements. In singing Trouble, Hill notes many things about which people of that day would be aghast but gets little or no reaction from his listeners. For example, Dan Patch was a race horse of the then new fangled and scandalous practice of using jockeys instead of harness racing. "Swell" was considered a slang term even in the 1960s and an inappropriate way to express oneself. Also missing is Hill introducing the Castle Walk dance to the town, as Preston did in the 1962 film. Vernon and Irene Castle were the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rodgers of their day and their invention of that dance was all the rage in 1912. An attempt to remake a much beloved musical invites inevitable comparisons with its predecessors. I liked the fact that they restored a couple of the songs to the way they were in the original stage play as opposed to the earlier film, such as My White Knight and one of the barbershop tunes, as well as the full opening train sequence. They earn kudos for inclusion of the reprise for Pick a Little with lyrics to better emphasize Marian's newfound acceptance into River City society than the 1962 version. The Buffalo Bills were a world champion barbershop quartet; the group presented here are good singers but way too young to be believable as school board members. Having the deputized school board help the constable to escort the captured Harold Hill was more realistic but deprived us of seeing them step forward to be counted among those who realized how much the Professor had really given to them unwittingly. That whole scene cries out for momentary spotlighting of individuals among each social group. That the dialogue skipped Marian's defense against rumors about her robs it of both sense and power. Keenest under the microscope must be Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth. Mr. Broderick is a much better singer than Robert Preston was. He has better range and a nice vibrato, although at times the latter sounds forced a bit, and is good at harmony. Mr. Preston, though, defined the role with a Tony awarded performance on Broadway that he revived for the 1962 film. His understanding and delivery of all the energy and nuances of the character is still sumptuous to behold, as he sells believability as a flim flam man better than any actor I've seen. Miss Chenoweth has a rich, powerful, well controlled singing voice but her performance of spoken dialogue fails to match it. Shirley Jones was outstanding at both, earning an Oscar for her acting alone in Elmer Gantry. All in all, my reaction to this version is positive but somewhat irked. For every accomplishment there is something not quite as polished. I enjoyed watching it, as The Music Man is my all time favorite musical, but it wasn't as good as its predecessor.
Rating:
Summary: Stinks
Review: What a bland performance by Broderick and other cast members. This version of the Music Man is worse than death warmed over - so badly cast that no expensive production values could save it. While the original had massive electricity, this one barely shows a pulse. I can't help but think that all the 5 star reviews are from Disney employees. What a waste of my time and their money. Truly uninspired. Merideth Wilson must be spinning. You could say I was prejudiced because my cousin was in the original Broadway version and also the movie version (as Buddy Hackett's girlfriend), and I've seen the original more times than I'd like to admit. But there's more to it than that. It really is terrible.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly cast remake trys hard
Review: There are only two reasons to watch this poorly done remake of Meredith Wilson's The Music Man...Kristen Chenowith and Debra Monk, as Marian and her mother. Their performances raise this drab remake above the total disaster arena. Mathew Broderick is completely wrong for this role. Having seen him onstage in two wonderful performances, I expected him to be very good. Unfortunately, he's barely adequate. Much of the cast is too young for their roles and they aren't good enough actors to overcome this poor casting. Ms. Chenowith, however, is delightful with her wonderful singing and acting performance. Debra Monk matches her every step of the way as her pushy mother. If you want to see The Music Man done well, then get the 1962 version, but skip this one. I gave it 3 stars, only because it looks great when played.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad but not great either
Review: I was very excited about a new version of the Music Man. I thought with better sound and video technology that I would be seeing a fantastic remake. While I did not expect this movie to be an exact replica of the original, I was very disappointed that the producers chose to make the new version so different. Many of the characters are so dramatically different that the new version lost much of what made the original so funny, which were the over-the-top characterizations. For a start Matthew Broderick was miscast. He is a great actor but I can't see him as Harold Hill, the lovable rogue. Broderick is lovable but definitely not roguish. Marian is supposed to be practical and intelligent. She was played too mushy and emotionally by the otherwise excellent Kristin Chenoweth. Shirley Jones characterization of the staid and sensible Marian was more true to Willson's intent. The Shinns are supposed to be very over-the-top. They were both too normal in the new version. Tommy and Zaneeta were both too bland. Too many members of the cast were simply too young, such as the school board members. River City is supposed to represent an average small town in Iowa, circa 1912, the kind creator Meredith Willson grew up in. The new River City just didn't seem all that realistic. It also had a multiracial cast, which was out of place. While celebrating diversity is a good thing, it is historically inaccurate in this movie. Even today, small towns in Iowa are mainly white. While the Music Man is supposed to be an exaggerated portrayal of small town life, I found this a bit too exaggerated. But my main issue with this new version is that lacks the fun and enthusiasm of the original. If you love the 1962 version you probably won't care for the new one.
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