Jersey Boys - B-

Rated R, 134 minutes

Music the highlight of the charming, flawed "Jersey Boys"

Transforming a Broadway smash musical into a hit movie can be a tricky and unpredictable thing, exhibit A being the disastrous 2011 film version of "Rock of Ages." The good news is the charming new Clint Eastwood-directed film version of the Tony-award winning hit "Jersey Boys," while flawed, fares much better. The overly-familiar narrative, based on the story of the rise of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, is uneven and doesn't translate as well from the stage but the highlight is that it's filled with many rousing Four Seasons hits, including "Sherry," "Walk Like a Man" and "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)." "Jersey Boys" is the account of how Valli (Tony-award winner John Lloyd Young, from the original U.S. stage version), along with Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen), Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) and Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) overcame a rough upbringing and numerous other obstacles to become one of rock and roll's most beloved groups and eventual Hall of Fame inductees. Yes, the Broadway hit is still better, and the rags-to-riches story is so well-worn and so-well known at this point it becomes a bit redundant, but the Eastwood-helmed "Jersey Boys" still has enough energy and fun moments, all coming from the music, that you'll be humming as you exit the theater. Eastwood, known for such heavier, dramatic films such as "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby," is seemingly an odd choice to direct something like this, though if you really know anything about Eastwood he's an accomplished musician himself, and he actually gives the film some dramatic balance along with the fun musical scenes that people will expect from a musical like this. It also helps having Tony-award winner Young from the original musical, who looks and sounds like Valli and is unsurprisingly the standout here, not to mention the fun addition of Christopher Walken as a mobster friend. The last act is a little too uneven, veers too far away from the music and loses some of the timeline; also, one aspect of the stage version that doesn't translate well from stage to film is the fourth-wall narration from the various characters. It's awkwardly integrated by Eastwood and would've worked much better with voice-overs, not to mention we don't hear from Valli as much given really this is his story. Flaws aside, "Jersey Boys" still works because you get to hear all the fun Four Seasons music that made it (and them) such a big hit in the first place. Worth a look for musical Broadway aficionados (and Baby Boomers, who will certainly get the most out of it) just know you'll appreciate the stage version more.

Wes's Grade: B-