10 Movie Musicals That Were Almost Perfect

Since the Golden Age of Hollywood, musical movies have been a cherished genre for movie goers and also a crucial staple in cinema. The height of the movie musical was established by classics such as The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, and West Side Story, and even today, the genre continues to thrive and evolve into new favorites for film fans. Still, like every film genre, many movie musicals are better than others, some even just barely missing that mark of pure perfection.

Movie musicals might be one of the most versatile but difficult film genres to conquer, especially if it’s an adaptation of an already established stage show or a remake of a classic. A handful of movie musicals successfully rank as some of the best with a few minor flaws which a majority of audiences are able to look past. From adaptations of Broadway hits like Chicago and Evita, to originals like Disney’s Aladdin and All That Jazz, these are ten movie musicals that were almost perfect!

10 ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ (2001)

Directed by John Cameron Mitchell

John Cameron Mitchell directs and stars in his original stage play, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, as a transwoman and aspiring rock star, Hedwig, who falls in love with an American man, Tommy (Michael Pitt). When Tommy discovers Hedwig’s surgery, he leaves her, stealing all of her music and becoming a rock star. Through a series of flashbacks, audiences learn about Hedwig’s turbulent past and emotional endeavors, revealing a raw but sentimental journey about self-discovery.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch initially debuted as an off-Broadway play in 1998 before making its way to mainstream audiences propelled by a loyal cult following. While the performances are incredible, notably Cameron Mitchell and Pitt, the film adaptation doesn’t fully grasp the vibrant electricity and physical impression of the stage production. Hedwig and the Angry Inch does make a solid effort with its unique transitions between musical numbers and incorporating a free-form sense of filmmaking similar to Pink Floyd The Wall.

9 ‘Grease’ (1978)

Directed by Randal Kleiser

Grease is an adaptation of the 1971 stage show which, through the years, has become a beloved favorite for many film fans, but unlike the stage production, the setting of the 1950s is warped by the culture of the 1970s that makes it feel artificial. While both the stage show and film deal with controversial subjects such as peer pressure, teen pregnancy, and high school hierarchy, the film version still misses the mark on remaining in probably the last innocent decade in American culture.

The ultimate saving grace of the film are the iconic musical numbers, songs, and stellar performances by the overall cast, notably John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, who each deliver powerhouse performances. While it may have misconstrued the original setting of the story with the current culture of the time, Grease still ranks as an iconic movie musical that just barely missed the mark of being perfect.

8 ‘Evita’ (1996)

Directed by Alan Parker

Madonna stars in the film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s musical, Evita, as the First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón, and chronicles her early life and rise to becoming one of the most beloved public figures in the country.

The only downside of Evita is there are moments where certain elements are depicted too neatly, falling short of a convincing depiction of events for audiences.

That being said, it is redeemed by Madonna’s exceptional performance, her passionate dynamic with her co-star, Antonio Banderas, and the array of emotional songs. Even though it earned mixed reviews, Evita still received several Academy Award nominations and won for Best Original Song for “You Must Love Me.” Despite its flat, unrealistic moments, Evita is still a compelling movie musical beautifully carried by Madonna, who proves her worth as a incredibly versatile performer.

7 ‘All That Jazz’ (1979)

Directed by Bob Fosse

Roy Scheider‘s performance in Bob Fosse‘s All That Jazz is one of the best movie musical performances of all time, but when it comes to the movie itself, it goes a bit overboard. Based on the aspects of Fosse’s life and career, All That Jazz tries to do too much in a short amount of time and even though it’s still fun and entertaining, it does have its moments of making audiences cringe and wince.

Aside from this minor setback, All That Jazz is still a worthwhile movie musical, which earned several Academy Award nominations, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Actor, going on to win for Best Art Direction. Considering the complexity of Fosse’s life and career, it’s understandable that All That Jazz gets a bit off track, but all in all, it’s still a top-notch movie musical and features Scheider in one of his finest performances.

6 ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975)

Directed by Jim Sharman

Based on the stage play The Rocky Horror Show, Jim Sharman and 20th Century Fox’s deeply and endearingly weird cult musical classic stars Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as doe-eyed newlyweds who stumble upon the extravagant, hard rocking castle of Doctor Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) one dark and stormy night.

Thanks in no small part to the toe-tapping tunes of Richard O’Brien and an iconic, completely brilliant turn from Curry, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is simply a blast. After an initial box office failure, The Rocky Horror Picture Show became the ultimate cult sensation, selling out midnight shows around the world for nearly half a century now. It’s an unusual, hardly seamless film with infinite charm and pleasure to behold.

5 ‘Aladdin’ (1992)

Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker

Starting in the late 1980s, Disney’s animation department was facing some serious challenges and was even close to being shut down by management. After a string of flops, the department managed to turn over a new leaf with the immense success of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, which ended up winning two Academy Awards. In 1992, Disney released Aladdin which without question is one of Disney’s best movie musicals, but in comparison to its predessors, Aladdin falls a bit short.

The core success of Disney’s animation department during this time was Howard Ashman who, along with his professional partner, Alan Menken, created some of Disney’s most iconic songs to date. In 1988, Ashman had been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS but he was able to finish The Little Mermaid and work on Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Unfortunately, Ashman passed away in 1991 before Aladdin was completed. Aladdin still reigns as one of Disney’s greatest animated features with memorable songs and music but Ashman’s absence defintely played a role in the film just falling short of perfect.

4 ‘Guys and Dolls’ (1955)

Directed by Jospeh L. Mankiewicz

Guys and Dolls is a classic movie musical and an adaptation of the 1950 Broadway musical by the same name, which were both choreographed by Michael Kidd. While the film has be regarded as one of the finest movie musicals of the decade, it does have a few flaws notably casting Marlon Brando as a song and dance man. Known for his dramatic roles and intense method acting, Brando’s casting feels a bit off especially next to an accomplished musical performer like Frank Sinatra.

Originally, Gene Kelly was in talks to take on the role but when MGM Studios refused to loan him out, Samuel Goldwyn opted for Brando mainly because of his status as one of the biggest box office draws at the time. This is no knock against Brando who efficently holds his own and doesn’t ruin the entire film by any means. Guys and Dolls is still a testament to movie musicals of Hollywood’s Golden Age, but it still serves as an example as to why it might be wise to cast someone based on their abilities rather than their starpower.

3 ‘Hairspray’ (2007)

Directed by Adam Shankman

John Waters‘ 1988 film, Harispray, is a cult classic musical film and an icon in its own right that redefeined the campy movie musical with eccentric performances by a stellar cast including Divine, Sonny Bono, and Ricki Lake. In 2002, the film was adapted into a hit Broadway show, winning eight Tony Awards in 2003 including Best Musical. Several years later, the film was remade in 2007 and while it has a star-studded cast and featured top-notch performances, it didn’t convey the signature style of Waters’ original version.

The beauty of the original film is the raw and uninhibited portrayal of characters who were different than the mainstream crowd and celebrated their uniqueness. The 2007 version is still well done but it is a bit too clean cut and doesn’t fully depict Waters’ signature ranchy, unapologetic style. It’s clear that the remake was more focused on presenting more of the tone of stage production which is full of vivid colors and over-the-top msuical numbers which isn’t a bad thing. That being said, the 2007 version is still a fun, entertaining remake that surpasses many remakes of iconic films like Hairspray, making it a vital movie musical that was so close to being perfect.

2 ‘Chicago’ (2002)

Directed by Rob Marshall

In 2002, the hit Broadway musical, Chicago, was brought to the silver screen, ultimately revitalizing the movie musical genre and winning several Academy Awards. While the film features exceptional performances by an all-star cast including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Richard Gere, and a unique trasnition between musical numbers, it doesn’t hold up against the original stage production in a few areas.

First off, Chicago is still a fabulous movie musical and in its defense, it’s hard to adapt a monutmental production like Chicago that will satsify everyone int he audience. The production is a cornerstone in Broadway history and has gone through several revivals since its original debut in 1975. The main issue of the 2002 film is that it seemed more focused on pleasing a mainstream audience, which is mainly due to director, Rob Marshall, struggle to lose his instinctual theaterical direction at times and not fully embrace the musical tone and genre. All in all, Chicago is still a brassy, energetic movie musical, featuring jaw-dropping performances by talented cast and ensemble, making it a triumph of a tribute to the original stage production.

1 ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ (2007)

Directed by Tim Burton

Known for his unconvetional and dark style, Tim Burton brings the famous stage production and musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, to life with his usual players, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter, and additional noteworthy stars including Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen. The macabre material is right up Burton’s alley and even though it was a major success, earning overall positive reviews, it does have a few knicks in it.

The main distraction is found in the ending of the film surrounding the reprisal of the song Johanna. While the overall story is meant to be full of gore and blood, this particualr scene has a bit too much that is kind of distracting from the beauty of the song. It would have been much more effective if Todd had let his “customer” slowly bleed out and let everything that just happened sink in before taking his final breath. It’s understandable why Todd choose such a morbid, aggressive manner but compared to the other deaths in the film, it stands out a bit too much. Aside from that minor criticism, Sweeney Todd is still one of the greatest movie musicals of all time and a solid adaptation of a classic stage show.

NEXT: The 10 Best Musical Movie Performances of All Time, Ranked