Thank you for the notes on West Side Story, DR Jrand71. It is indeed different, and excellent.
I wonder if the lukewarm reviews re any Tony are inevitable, regardless of how well the person acts and sings, when he doesn't look like he could have been their gang leader (AND in this version you know he also spent time in prison) -- ESPECIALLY when the rest of that very gang looks so utterly convincing. Riff is absolutely incredible here. But yes, other than that nagging observation, he's fine.
And yes, the Doc's scene with Anita seemed to leave "something" to be desired, but I'm not sure it's her fault. I'll have to see what a second viewing reveals. I definitely liked how he pulled off an inclusion of the Jet girls in that scene.
As for "America" in the streets: When I saw the teasers and trailers, I felt absolutely the same. Then, in context I liked it. And their use of the 1961 movie version of the song worked great in the street.
Speaking of which, I liked every instance of Spielberg paying homage to the 1961 film in various ways, large and small.
"Krupke" and "Cool" are both pre-rumble here, so, not in stage order. But these settings worked for me.
