THE FILM:

Sorry, Clint, you are not the right director for Jersey Boys. The Tony Award-winning stage musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is hilarious, toe-tapping fun, but something gets lost in translation in this film adaptation. The pieces are all here, including a strong cast and period-appropriate sets, but director Clint Eastwood cannot recreate the live-production spark. Jersey Boys is too stiff and too serious, and is not nearly as funny as it should be. The story has its dark depression and drugs heartbreak, sure, but the stage musical soared through the mire where the film wallows. I wish Rob Marshall or even Baz Luhrmann had tackled this project instead of Eastwood, whose talents are better suited elsewhere. Jersey Boys is enjoyable enough without context, and, while I try to grade each film on its independent merits, I cannot help but consider this a missed opportunity.

The film teases a more theatrical vibe in early scenes where characters break the third wall and speak directly at the audience. Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) introduces a 1950s New Jersey, where he, brother Nicky (Johnny Cannizzaro), and friend Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) scrap by in bars and clubs as "The Variety Trio." DeVito recruits a local barber's son, Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young), with a powerful falsetto voice. DeVito soon gets six months in jail for robbery, but Frankie is released with a warning thanks to gangster Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken). Valli and songwriter Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) join the group, now called "The Four Lovers," and get duped into signing a contract as backup singers to established artists. Producer Bob Crewe (Mike Doyle) urges the group to improve its brand, and a well-placed bowling alley sign inspires the name "The Four Seasons." Gaudio writes "Sherry" in a flurry of inspiration, and Crewe allows the guys to record their first huge hit. This begins a string of follow-up singles and success, as well as inner turmoil for the Four Seasons.

Eastwood is a lifelong lover of jazz, which is evident in films like his directorial debut, Play Misty for Me, and the ill-received Bird, a documentary about saxophone legend Charlie "Yardbird" Parker. However, nothing in his repertoire suggests Eastwood is a good fit for a pop-music production like Jersey Boys. The director never allows the film to unspool naturally. Numbers that should be joyful and transcend the screen are stiff and rehearsed. The most exuberant moments come in a song-and-dance montage played under the ending credits. It is this imaginative, stage-inspired number that should have filled Jersey Boys instead of dull, Ed Sullivan show knock-off performances.

Eastwood seems averse to risk here, which is evident in his decision to port over a number actors directly from the stage, including Young, Bergen and Lomenda. Doing this is fine, as the actors undoubtedly did a nice job on stage, but uninspired. If you are going to adapt a stage musical, make it worthwhile. I mention Marshall because his Chicago made a strong case for the silver-screen musical adaptation. He compensated for the lack of live-audience energy with jazzy musical numbers and theatrical staging. His film made watching a well-told story feel new and fresh. Jersey Boys feels like a competent if not particularly memorable regional theater production. I cannot point to a single thing that the film does better than the stage production, and that is a problem.

Perhaps I am being overly harsh on Eastwood and company. The film is expectedly well shot and acted, and exhibits the veteran director's steady hand at staging and pacing. The aforementioned early scenes that tease a more impressive adaptation are good, though Eastwood seemingly forgets this technique fifteen minutes in. The stage-production's Jersey humor and profanity are in tact but used to a lesser degree. The non-stop laughs of the live production are sadly not here. Jersey Boys hits the highlights of the rise and fall of the Four Seasons, including DeVito's mismanagement and Valli's personal struggles with booze and a broken family. The film never dives far below the surface, and again proves just good enough to get by. For an Eastwood production that is disappointing.

THE BLU-RAY:

PICTURE:

Jersey Boys arrives with a strong 2.40:1/1080p/AVC-encoded transfer from Warner Brothers. The purposely soft and period-appropriate visuals do not immediately scream "high definition," but the Blu-ray accurately replicates the theatrical experience. Depth is quite good, particularly in busy wide shots, which are crisp and clear. Black levels are excellent, as is shadow detail. Close-ups reveal minute facial details, and skin tones appear accurate. Eastwood dials back the contrast to fit the ‘50s setting, and the Blu-ray sticks the landing here too. I noticed no issues with banding or noise reduction.

SOUND:

The musical numbers are not quite as dynamic as expected here, but I think that is an issue with the production and sound design rather than this 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Balancing dialogue, effects and a frequent score is tricky, and this lossless mix does a nice job making sure each element is crisp and perfectly replicated. Action effects are minimal, but a car crash and other louder elements ripple through the surrounds. Dialogue is clear, whether presented from the center or surround channels, and the musical numbers are given nice surround and subwoofer assistance. French, Spanish and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital mixes are also included, as are English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subs.

PACKAGING AND EXTRAS:

This two-disc "combo pack" includes the Blu-ray, a DVD copy and an UltraViolet HD digital copy. The discs are packed in an eco-case, which is wrapped in a slipcover that replicates the attractive, minimalistic key artwork. Extras include From Broadway to the Big Screen (22:57/HD), a decent making-of and exploration of the story's translation from stage to screen. Too Good to be True (4:51/HD) is a short piece on Donnie Kehr, who played the original Gyp DeCarlo, and "Oh, What a Night" to Remember (5:05/HD) discusses the end-credit musical number.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I love the stage production, but Clint Eastwood's film adaptation of Jersey Boys is disappointingly literal and stiff. The director is not the right choice for this material, and the film lacks the toe-tapping energy and humor of the stage production about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Jersey Boys is not a complete failure, but it is a missed opportunity. Rent It.

William lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.