Bye Bye Birdie (Widescreen/Full Screen)

It's not the worst movie I ever saw and obviously some people like it but there are so many far better musicals out there and I found this one to be bad enough that I consider it a waste of money and time. I admit that I think my 4-year old girl might like it -- but she would probably like anything with music and colors -- however lame. My 13-year old son enjoyed watching the "I'm sincere" song with me and we (along with my husband) had a good laugh about how AWFUL it was! So, in that respect, the movie delivered some laughs.

If you love Ann-Margret I say get "Viva Las Vegas" instead and don't watch an "Elvis-like" character -- watch the real thing. The energy between Margret and Presley and their dance numbers in that movie are great -- and while that movie is a little corny too, I thoroughly enjoyed it (unlike Bye Bye Birdie).

Just to help you know my taste in musicals so you can see whether we are on the same page and whether you should heed my review -- Some musicals I have liked: The King and I; Camelot; Oklahoma; Tammy and the Bachelor; Sound of Music; Mary Poppins; Singin' in the Rain; White Christmas; An American in Paris; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Some Like it Hot; Jail House Rock (and several other Elvis musicals); My Fair Lady; All that Jazz; and more recently "Chicago." I did not particularly like "Damn Yankees" but didn't dislike it as much as Bye Bye Birdie. OK, well maybe you won't find this review useful either but at least I will have offered support to my apparent soulmate!

First the bad news, The film suffers from flat characterization. Most affected is the role of Rosie who is often seen as despicable. All the viewer knows of her is she often flirts to make Albert jealous (even going as far as stripping for a group of shriners. Oh sure, she 'tells' us about the other, nicer side of her personality but we never see it. Similarly, Albert is so obsessed with his mother; we cannot see what Rosie sees in him. When Rosie and Albert finally get back together at the film's end it is because the "Birdie" distraction is over, not because either character had shown any growth. Conrad Birdie is so un-charismatic and untalented that it leads me to have poor thoughts about the time period... Was Elvis ever that boring?

On the positive side, even in a very small role, Bobby Rydell honestly and pleasantly plays the young Hugo. But it is Ann-Margret who easily walks away with the film. She is easily the most charismatic person in the film and gorgeous to look at.
Some of the choreography is very good, even taking into account the non-dancers with big dance numbers. The show went through some serious revisions. Many songs were excised. The song "An English Teacher" went away when Albert's profession was switched to chemistry. The song "A Healthy American Boy" was also excised. The song "What Did I Ever See in Him?" was cut and that is a shame. It continued the relationship set up during the song "One Boy". Kim and Rosie lose the number and the viewers lose the comparison. Rosie has an additional loss when most of the song "Spanish Rose" was replaced by dialogue and dance. In my opinion the biggest loss in the film is Albert's beautiful "Talk to me." His song pleads for Rosie's love and showed growth, but as mentioned earlier, that growth never happens in the film.

For many, BYE BYE BIRDIE did not transfer well to the screen, but the film is not the only document of the show available. In 1995, a new production appeared that was a 'different', longer, possibly truer (not necessarily better) interpretation. Although it used all of the music and the basic storyline from the stage show, they attempted to make a new show. In the end, you have two sufficient outlets to see Bye Bye Birdie but, watch for any local or community theater productions in your area. That is still your best bet.

The DVD has a great video transfer and the audio sounds just great. You'll be tapping your toes in no time.