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Summary: Can Streisand sing or what?
Review: Barbara Streisand stars as Fanny Brice, the rags-to-riches Zigfield star. Omar Sharif costars as Nicky Arnstein, a professional gambler who woos, marries, and leaves her. Babs is adorable as a gawky kid from the poor side of town who had too much talent and guts to be ignored. The early scenes of Zigfield shows are really cute and funny, and Streisand is, indeed, incredibly talented. Sharif is a 10 on the hunk scale, but never seems very comfortable with the role. When the money runs out, and Nicky is gone, Streisand lets down the brassy personna and has some very tender moments. The songs are all such familiar classics by now you'll want to sing along, but don't sing too loud; Striesand's voice is a thing of beauty and truly a joy forever.
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Summary: What a great movie!
Review: James Caan and Barbara Streisand are awesome together This is a great movie. I originally saw it because it was on AFI's 100 greatest romances. And it is a great romance, because the movie's character's have the kind of chemistry of people who love each other, but also relentlessly get on each other's nerves (and if you've seen "Two For The Road or are a fan of Sam and Diane, then you know that those are some of the best stories). Don't rent this is you're looking for the typical boy meets girl formula. Rent this if you want to hear great music (I'm buying the soundtrack immediately) and see Barbra's awesome acting chops (her character, Fanny Bryce is the kinda hard-nosed girl who says everything you'd want to say) this is an absolute must-see.
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Summary: This is a Masterpiece!
Review: I am NOT a Barbara fan at all and i don't think of her as a nice person either but in this film she is magic! I really don't think anybody else could really play the part of Fanny except for her. If you ever see any of Fanny Brice's movies you can see that Babs and her are very much alike to the point of being scary.I am also glad that this film has been restored to it's natural Roadshow quality which is the only reason why i bought it. So i do recommend this DVD highly but if you read my review on "Hello Dolly" you'll notice that i wasn't kind at all. But just like Funny Girl was written for Barbara, Hello Dolly was written for Carol Channing,,,,end of story.
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Summary: DVD at its finest
Review: William Wyler was a perfectionist. Barbra Streisand is a perfectionist. Hence, the perfect DVD: "Funny Girl." Never have I seen a restoration as fine as this. The picture and sound are perfect. Now all you Streisand fans should no better in complaining about the lack of extras. Knowing Barbra, she will have another version released in a couple years called the Collectors Edition with loads of stuff. In the meantime, what a treat this glorious DVD is! We have one of the greatest motion picture debuts of all time preserved forever.
Rating: 
Summary: People who see Funny Girl are the luckiest people .....?
Review: This is a great restoration of the original movie. And though I love Barbra Streisand, movie musicals in general and "Funny Girl" in particular, it really isn't for everybody. Streisand gives her second most charming movie performance ever in this her debut (after "What's Up Doc"). All the tics and mannerisms which later became tedious and uninspired, but here are fresh and engaging, are present. The deep emotive sighing, the schtick (which she's somehow lost along the way), the kooky grin and histrionics. Yes, it's a powerhouse performance and proves the old cliche that it takes a star to play a star, but the movie consists of almost 3 hours of unadulterated Streisand and no-one else really gets a look-in. This seems very one-sided even to this Streisand fan. There's no-one to balance her and enhance her performance which would have added a lot to the movie. This is Babs's movie all the way - great if you're a Streisand fan. If you're not, stick with "What's Up, Doc" where Bogdanovich surrounded the diva with a great comedic ensemble thus enhancing Barbra's presence rather than diminishing it. As for the story, it's hokey in the extreme - a 1930's backstage musical stretched from 90 minutes to almost double that time. This is mitigated by Streisand's sheer willpower to make it as a star, particularly in the first half ("I'm the Greatest Star" and "Don't Rain on My Parade" are the two standout numbers both musically and cinematographically). I can't fathom what Herbert Ross and William Wyler were thinking of in the staging of "His Love Makes Me Beautiful". It looks like a tawdry 60's Las Vegas Revue filmed for the prurient US television networks and boy does it go on. The remastered color and widescreen shots are first-rate. However, I found the remastered sound on the strident side especially when La Streisand lifts off in either song or dispute. Yup a great addition to the Streisand catalog. But be warned very long and overly indulgent to its star.
Rating:
Summary: Streisand classic on dvd....
Review: This Streisand classic is a must for any true fan's collection. When we think of Barbra Streisand, "Funny Girl" comes to mind. I've been looking forward to this film being released on the dvd format and it is finally here. The only problem I have with the dvd is that the special features are pretty [bad]. I was hoping there would be a lot more stuff. That being said, the movie itself is so good that I had to give this dvd five stars. This is one of my favorite (if not THE favorite) films she has done. I think anyone who buys this film will be glad they did.
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Summary: Where are the extras?
Review: This is known as Barbra Streisand's signature movie. So where are all of the extra features on this DVD? There should be so many extras that it would take another DVD to fit them all in one package! This thing has nothing. Buy it because it's a great movie but don't expect any more than that.
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Summary: Barbra's First Movie
Review: The picture and sound on this dvd are great. The colors are vibrant and every song feels like you are right in front of a Broadway orchestra.The extras are nice but there should have been more. The cover art is nice too.
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Summary: Hello, Gorgeous...
Review: It was certainly one of the most memorable screen debuts of all time: swathed in leopard skin, our Funny Girl saunters up to a backstage mirror, eyes herself in a perfect three-quarters profile, and purrs to her reflection, "Hello, Gorgeous." From that moment on, there was no doubt that the appelation fit the film's star to a tee. In this biopic about Fanny Brice -- arguably the greatest stage and radio comedienne who ever lived, Barbra Streisand turned in a remarkable performance -- shaded, multi-layered, hilarious, and pathetic -- and won a well-deserved Oscar to boot. Her only shortcoming was her inability to match Fanny Brice's unattractiveness. True, the film makes numerous references to the fact that Fanny wasn't pretty, and Streisand tries in vain to carry off the ugly duckling routine. It was a wasted effort; Barbra was simply beautiful in each and every frame. Perhaps some of the credit for that goes to the film's director, William Wyler (in his only musical directorial effort), and the cinematographer, Harry Stradling -- whose camera work bathes La Streisand's visage in etheral radiance from start to finish. Wyler's directorial style was a bit heavy-handed, giving the film a decidedly dated look, but he nonetheless extracted polished, disciplined performances from the actors. The musical numbers were unimaginatively staged ("Don't Rain On My Parade" is a notable exception), but they succeed largely due to Streisand's vocals. Some supporting players worthy of praise: Anne Francis, in an abbreviated cameo as Zigfield girl Georgia James, Kay Medford (repeating her Broadway role), as the sharp-tongued, warm-hearted Rose Brice, and Lee Allen as Fanny's friend Eddie Ryan. Only Omar Sharif, as Nick Arnstein, missed the boat. Appearing stiff and uncomfortable with the role (Arnstein was not an Arab.), Sharif makes a valiant effort to portray Arnstein sympathetically -- but never manages to connect with the character effectively. Nonetheless, this was Barbra's movie, and she wisely ran with it. Whether gazing wistfully at Nick Arnstein, or joking with reporters about his arrest for embezzlement (a scene she handles remarkably well for a screen novice), Streisand expertly carried the audience through an almost two-and-one-half hour extravaganza. The second half of the film dragged just a bit, and some of the dialogue must have seemed cliche even then. But Streisand pulled it off, right up through the tear-soaked finale. This was the type of big finish that Hollywood legends are made of. Having just called it quits with Nick, she stands alone in a spotlight, in a simple black velvet dress, summoning all of her resources to make it through "My Man." Halfway through, she sniffs back her tears, flings her arms outward, and launches into the song full tilt. As her voice grows in intensity and power, the scene ends with the spotlight illuminating only her hands and face. Audiences in 1968 were left stunned, and knew for a fact that they had witnessed the emergence of a major film star. In a long overdue widescreen presentation, the new DVD incarnation of this musical classic boasts a remastered soundrack and a beautifully restored picture. Color saturations are intense and vibrant, with skin tones appropriately subtle. As a whole, the transfer is well-focused and clean, with only occasional artifact present. Some interesting extras and a clever user interface make for an overall appealing package. All in all, the DVD presentation is quite an achievement. For the first time, "Funny Girl" has gotten the treatment it deserves, and we are all the richer for it.
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Summary: The Thrilling FUNNY GIRL
Review: FUNNY GIRL stars a suspenseful pace, dazzling production values, thoroughly entertaining musical numbers, and a young woman who tickles the soul from the opening scene to the last. Isobel Lennart's topnotch screenplay and expert direction by William Wyler (BEN-HUR) make adapting a Broadway musical to film seem painless. The A-plus DVD (with FUNNY GIRL's original aspect ratio, Overture, Entr'acte after Intermission, and Exit Music) turns the already thrilling FUNNY GIRL into the movie theater rollercoaster of yesterday. (The "Don't Rain On My Parade" sequence pumps the heart like BEN-HUR's chariot race.)
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