Rating: 
Summary: Coulda been Better. Coulda been worse
Review: Though I am a huge fan of both the Original Cast CD and the stage version, I will disregard them for the sake of giving this movie a fair and accurate review. This movie has a lot of poor choices and bad ideas, but it's also got a lot of good ones that make it worth while. Let's start with the bad and get that out of the way: #1 The dubbing of Peter O'Toole and Sohia Loren is poorly done. The singers (I am not sue of their names) are weak and not suited for the roles. #2 Don Quixote's make up. Poor Peter O'toole has a rubber headpiece that leaves him looking rather suprised through the movie. #3 For somereason entire songs and some resprises are completely missing from this movie. #4 The supporting cast. For the most part the supporting cast is rather unimpressive. Not that they're all that bad, just a bit disappointing. #5 The begginging drags on a bit and makes you want to fast forward a bit to get to the prison. Now for the good. #1 Peter O'Toole's Cervantes is so brilliantly acted you'll find yourself moved by his speeches. #2 Sophia Loren. A beautiful Woman and a fine actress. The scenes between her and Sancho are so sincere they'll make you laugh out loud. #3 James Coco. Too many Sancho's are rather annoying, but not this one. he's funny, cute, and you can tell how much he cares for his friend #4 This is a beautifully shot film with wonderful angles and just the right lighting to set the mood for each scene. #5 Though I do not know his name, the singing voice of Don Quioxte hits the final note of The Impossible Dream brilliantly. It's amazing. All in all this film is worth watching if you're a fan of the show. Don't exect the stage version though, this is nothing like it but give it a chance and you might really enjoy it. Don't let reviews about how it's nothing like the book scare you away. It's true, it's a loose adaptation, but it's a good one
Rating: 
Summary: CERVANTES AND DON QUIJOTE SIMPLY THE BEST!!!
Review: THE GREATEST MUSICAL AND THE GREATEST NOVEL EVER WRITTEN! VIVA CERVANTES Y DON QUIJOTE!!!!!!!GET THIS DVD!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: CERVANTES AND DON QUIJOTE-THE GREATEST DUO OF ALL TIME!!!!!!
Review: I HAVE BEEN A CERVANTES AND DON QUIJOTE SCHOLAR ALL OF MY LIFE AND HAVE READ THE GREAT NOVEL MANY TIMES.THE MUSICAL,THE MAN OF LA MANCHA ADEQUATELY PORTRAYS CERVANYTES' MASTERPIECE.THE MUSIC IS FANTASTIC.I HAVE THE VIDEO VERSION BUT I SHALL DEFINITELY BUY THE DVD WHEN IT IS RELEASED ON APRIL 20,2004.I HOPE THAT YOU WILL FOLLOW SUIT!!!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good musically as the other recorded versions
Review: Although the 1972 movie of "Man of La Mancha" was considerably better than most people give it credit for being,the soundtrack by itself is another matter. Simon Gilbert dubs Peter O'Toole's singing (although we do get to hear O'Toole in the spoken sections),and although Peter O'Toole's acting was magnificent,Simon Gilbert is a pleasant-voiced singer,but no Richard Kiley. The other actors all do their own singing,although most of them weren't really singers at all,and they range from quite good (Julie Gregg and sole original cast member Gino Conforti) to good (James Coco and Ian Richardson) to barely passable (Sophia Loren,whose acting in the film was magnificent) to awful (Rosalie Crutchley,who in all fairness,does a comic role). Compared to the other albums,in which real singers with trained voices were used, this is a letdown,though Gilbert's singing as Don Quixote is preferable to Placido Domingo's barely understandable sung English and mediocre acting.See the movie,because in the film you get brilliant acting and beautiful photography along with the singing, but if you want an album of the songs,stick with the original Broadway cast.
Rating:
Summary: Capturing Quixote
Review: Let me say first that I fly in the face of almost all the reviews I have read. I love this film-the cast, the singing, the sets, in fact every aspect is a near-perfect rendering of the vision I have of Don Quixote. I have read the book but have not seen the musical. I have the feeling that many people will never read the book-it's almost 2000 pages long and rather intimidating to people who are not readers. Many people may also never have the opportunity to see the musical, and perhaps the art snots are right and the musical is far superior to the movie. However, the movie does something that the musical and the book don't do-it makes Don Quixote accessible to everyone. Watching Peter O'Toole is to understand how a man can go out and fight windmills. Seeing James Coco at his side is to glimpse the true nature of friendship, for both as Sancho and the stage manager, Coco displays true affection and loyalty to a man whose idealism gets his friends in tight spots. Perhaps the most compelling evidence I can offer as to the value of the film is this-I have a son who is dyslexic and although I have read many books to him (The Lord of the Rings, Huckleberry Finn, Watership Down, to name a few) I never read him Don Quixote. He didn't want to try reading such a big book, but I told him about Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, and we talked about the importance of following your dreams and not letting the world dictate to you. Anyway, he was deployed recently and the night before he left we watched Man of La Mancha. After it was over, he said thank you to me for sharing it with him. I'm glad that he has a better understanding now of the word quixotism, because he has always been a person of high ideals with his own mind and I hope he always will be. I will be getting the DVD the day it comes out, and I will keep it next to my copy of Don Quixote, so that I always have them both together. Walter Starkie, who translated Don Quixote, writes that Don Quixote was "created out of a life of disillusion, privation, and poverty by a maimed ex-soldier...whose noble nature and gentle sense of humerous tolerance taught him that life is an unending dialogue between a knight of the spirit who is ever striving to soar aloft, and a squire who clings to his master and strives with might and main to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground." Peter O'Toole, James Coco, Sophia Loren, and the rest of the cast bring this dialogue to life. I invite you to see this film.
Rating:
Summary: Stage comes to life for the rest of us
Review: Seems that Miguel de Cervantes (Peter O'Toole) was caught performing a politically unhealthy play during the time of the Spanish inquisition. So he gets tossed in a dungeon to await trial. There he is put on trial by the others also awaiting their trial. They threaten to burn his manuscript. He explains his story by putting on a play that involves the people listening. It is the story of Alonso Quijana who in a fever becomes a great knight (Don Quixote de la Mancha); he seeks adventure and the "impossible dream."It is the nature of plays that when preformed one tries to get the best stage actors. In film they strive for the best know movie actors. This movie has accomplished the feat. Each actor brings the character that he/she is playing alive and just as in the movie when they transit from telling the story to being the story, we go from watching the movie to being the story. The music will stay with you long after the movie has finished.
Rating:
Summary: Full of Meaning
Review: The acting and singing is not always that great in this film (though the songs are fun), but I love this musical. The whole plot and point of the movie is inspiring to me. To me the movie expresses that: We should see the world as it should be - filled with honesty, loyalty to doing right, care for others, and honor to God - and then to make it our quest in life to seek these things and make the world a better place. I know that others may not see the movie the same as I - but I recommend this movie, it is an inspiration to me.
Rating: 
Summary: DARE TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM!
Review: Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren dared to dream the impossible dream with this musical film version of "Man of La Mancha". Don Quixote set to music must have seemed like a good idea to director, Arthur Hiller at the time, but on screen it's about as painfully shocking as seeing your own mother drunk! Quixote(O'Toole) is a crazy nobleman who is an embarrassment to his respectable family. Together, with faithful sidekick Sancho Panza, he duels windmills and defends his "lady" (Sophia Loren), who is actually a [prostitute]. The songs, including "Impossible Dream" had their merits on Broadway. But on screen - and sung by actors to whom the concept of singing is clearly as foreign as the subject matter of this film - we get a cackling of melodies that is genuinely painful on the ears. All this would be forgiveable if the production values didn't herald the coming of a lavish film that, sadly, vaporizes the moment any of the principles open their mouths. But such a waste of money and talent is malicious!
TRANSFER: Presumably because this film didn't get that much play time in theaters, the DVD picture exhibits striking image quality. Colors are rich, bold and vibrant. Black levels are solid. Fine details are fully realized. There are NO age related artifacts. Digital anomalies; edge enhancement, pixelization, shimmering of fine details, are rarely present for a smooth visual presentation. The audio is 5.1, made all the more strident and shrill by the deplorable lack of musical talent belting out some truly horrific tunes.
EXTRAS: A Photo montage - as if reliving the film experience wasn't scary enough!
BOTTOM LINE: The transfer is stunning but the film is a disaster. Like "One From The Heart", "Man of La Mancha" is a misguided attempt to capture the magic of musicals of old. It fails miserably on all levels of entertainment and isn't recommended for anyone who isn't tone deaf!
Rating:
Summary: The Impossible Dream Lives
Review: I have waited forever to see this show again! It has been an insparation to me through out my whole life. If you want your children to learn to dream and to strive for their goals let them see this film! This movie let me see that even if I don't think that I am beautiful someone will see me that way. This movie is so inspiring I even used part of it for my validitorian speech when I graduated college. You want to feel good - BUY AND WATCH THIS FILM!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Sorry Nay Sayers this Movie needs a DVD
Review: I needed this musical tonight,
and the VHS of the screenplay made that possible.
I fell in love with the Richard Kiley cast album,
And the original stage production. Now some 25+ years later I see the VHS of the Movie and it reminded me of the reasons this musical spoke to me. For this I am grateful. Reading the reviews here I am reminded that some critics would shot off their left foot if they fail to note the attachment. This movie speaks to the basis of the living of life on many levels. Clearly one of the most beautiful reminders of why I am married occurs when Don Quixote looks at Aldonza and says, "I have dreamed thee too long,
Never seen thee or touched thee,
but known thee with all of my heart," It is my duty, though I trust no one else may understand or relate to this, but my duty and my privilege (a paraphrase from the movie) to see my wife in the radiant splendor that is her true essence.(And I mean so much more than materiality) And to do this in spite of any appearances to the contrary. And my privilege to hold to the demands of Knighthood no matter that others would tempt me to act less graciously. This is the highest art of conscious spiritual evolution and a core message of many a sacred text. This musical is one of my top all time and this screenplay and this VHS has served my appreciation and enjoyment quite well. I would have rated this higher than 5 stars, but no such choice was available.
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