Most of the intricately choreographed dances still impress, and there are fine contributions by George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn, and especially Rita Moreno.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Feb 22, 2025

Loaded with innumerable and distinguished songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim (each one an earworm of its own), West Side Story is a tale of race and social decorum and is an incredibly inventive adaptation of the legendary Shakespeare story.

| Jun 8, 2023

This is a movie that pretends to deal with racial tensions. The lyrics keep telling us this is what it's about and the critics seem to accept the authors' word for it.

| Jul 29, 2022

The film version of West Side Story often pops up on Greatest Movie of All Time lists thanks to its unique blending of realism & metaphorical dance and performances by Oscar-winners Chakaris and, in particular, Rita Moreno.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Mar 20, 2022

Great example of a kind of cinema extint in Hollywood right now. [Full Review in Spanish].

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Dec 16, 2021

It's easy to get swept away by the sheer muchness of it.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 13, 2021

One of the lovely things about West Side Story is Rita Moreno, whose acting and dancing are elegant. Chakiris is darkly handsome and effective, and Tamblyn is great on the dancing.

| Dec 2, 2021

[West Side Story] is at least the best screen musical since On the Town and may not get all the praise it deserves: it is galvanic, technically thrilling, and stylised with a neurotic skill sometimes only just short of genius.

| Dec 2, 2021

It roars with the hatreds of street battle. It twinkles with joyous motion which turns into fierce agitation as the stresses of misunderstanding speed the players into an uncontrollable maelstrom.

| Dec 2, 2021

It is Robbins' vision -- of city life expressed in stylized movement that sometimes flowers into dance and song -- that lifts this picture high.

| Dec 2, 2021

The whole cast shows wonderful vitality and spirit.

| Dec 2, 2021

In spine-tingling tempo, with eye-dazzling color and ear-teasing music it recites no corny backstage drama but cuts instead a meaty parallel to the Romeo and Juliet tragic romance.

| Dec 2, 2021

But Hollywood chose to do something more -- to translate its beauty and violence and compassion and power into genuine cinema language -- and we can all be glad.

| Dec 2, 2021

Superb aerial shots looking down into New York's canyons open the film and set the stage for an extraordinary production.

| Dec 2, 2021

Faithfully sticking to the play, the film is witty, biting, entertaining and sentimental, too.

| Dec 2, 2021

What makes it a towering milestone -- especially in the field of cinema -- is the fact that perhaps never have music, dance and drama been merged as effectively or have art and realism been blended more excitingly.

| Dec 2, 2021

All technicalities were met in flawless fashion and West Side Story emerges more memorable than ever.

| Dec 2, 2021

There is beautiful and in some cases clever music, superb acting, photography, special effects, settings and wardrobe almost beyond compare.

| Dec 2, 2021

It's a cleverly stylized and dramatized depiction of a bloody story which probably will appeal most to those who like lengthy musicals, and to the younger generation who are fascinated by "rumbles." Their elders may find it depressing.

| Dec 2, 2021

Robbins' choreography profits most from Panavision. Spectacular on stage, his sequences are nothing short of electric on film.

| Dec 2, 2021