A musical biopic of the Four Seasons—the rise, the tough times and personal clashes, and the ultimate triumph of a group of friends whose music became symbolic of a generation. Far from a mere tribute concert, it gets to the heart of the relationships at the centre of the group, with a special focus on frontman Frankie Valli, the small kid with the big falsetto.
Christopher Walken plays a gangster who can fix anything; maybe he should have taken charge of the film.
– Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
30 Jun 2014
rotten:
Jersey Boys comes to life only toward the end.
– James Berardinelli,
ReelViews,
22 Jun 2014
rotten:
It's glossy and entertaining but also safe and conventional. If my father had lived to age 72, he would have loved this movie. This is your target audience.
– Christy Lemire,
ChristyLemire.com,
21 Jun 2014
rotten:
At times the movie version of "Jersey Boys" captures the electric excitement of the musical, but for every soaring moment, there are 10 minutes of bickering or brooding.