 Tagline: What a Glorious Feeling ! Silent movies are giving way to talking pictures - and a hoofer-turned-matinee idol (Gene Kelly) is caught in the bumpy transition, as are his buddy (Donald, O'Connor), a prospective ladylove (Debbie Reynolds) and shrewish costar (Jean Hagen). Rediscover the musical masterpiece, Singin' In The Rain, in dazzling, restored high definition, featuring an all-new documentary special feature that salutes not just this all-time favorite but also the musical legacy of its producer, songwriter Arthur Freed. Storyline: 1927 Hollywood. Monumental Pictures' biggest stars, glamorous on-screen couple Lina Lamont and Don Lockwood, are also an off-screen couple if the trade papers and gossip columns are to be believed. Both perpetuate the public perception if only to please their adoring fans and bring people into the movie theaters. In reality, Don barely tolerates her, while Lina, despite thinking Don beneath her, simplemindedly believes what she sees on screen in order to bolster her own stardom and sense of self-importance. R.F. Simpson, Monumental's head, dismisses what he thinks is a flash in the pan: talking pictures. It isn't until The Jazz Singer (1927) becomes a bona fide hit which results in all the movie theaters installing sound equipment that R.F. knows Monumental, most specifically in the form of Don and Lina, have to jump on the talking picture bandwagon, despite no one at the studio knowing anything about the technology. Musician Cosmo Brown, Don's best friend, gets hired as Monumental's ... Written by Huggo Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown on July 11, 2012 -- Ah, the folly of youth. It wasn't so long ago that the phrase "they just don't make 'em like they used to" elicited the same quip from this shortsighted moviegoer: "there's a reason for that." But then movie-going became a craft, from there a profession, and from there a career. I found more and more of the Golden Age classics I once so callously dismissed sitting on my desk, awaiting a review; a process that finally, at long last, brought me around. They really don't make 'em like they used to. And while that isn't necessarily a tragedy, it is something of a shame. Of course, the more enlightened cinephiles among you are passionately nodding your heads. You've grasped this seemingly simple concept for years. Decades even. So I'm sad to say this portion of my review isn't for you. Chances are you've already ordered your copy of Singin' in the Rain anyway, and have only come here to see how its AV presentation and special features stack up. No, this review is for those of you who wouldn't normally go near a 1952 musical; those of you with little interest in the films of lifetimes long past; those of you who are actively, willingly, stubbornly turning a blind eye to the some of the greatest films of all time just because they came and went before you were born. There are generations of moviegoers who will never experience the joys and delights of a film like Singin' in the Rain, and that, dear readers, is the real shame of not making 'em like they used to... If you're as sheltered from the classics as I once was, your familiarity with Singin' in the Rain probably extends no further than episodes of The Simpsons, Family Guy, Robot Chicken and Glee. Jackie Chan fans should have caught the reference in Shanghai Knights even with the most rudimentary pop culture know-how. Most of the woefully uninitiated, though, will instinctively associate Singin' in the Rain with the first unsettling home invasion scene in Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, in which Alex DeLarge belts out the titular tune while assaulting and raping a woman in view of her gagged and bound husband. Not exactly what lyricist Arthur Freed and composer Nacio Herb Brown had in mind when composing and arranging the song for The Hollywood Revue of 1929; a song that would, in the years following its 1952 screen revival, become one of the most popular and recognizable music numbers in Hollywood history. Nor was it what Gene Kelly -- who directed, choreographed and starred in Rain -- and Freed, who produced, thought their lighthearted Technicolor passion project might spawn in the decades to come. And yet Singin' in the Rain isn't merely the singing, dancing flight of bygone fancy so many assume. (Although that's certainly the primary source of its disarming charm.) Surprisingly pointed and satirical for a musical of the era, not to mention laugh-out-loud funny, the sixty-year-old classic exudes as much wit, confidence and shrewdness as it ever has, taking Tinseltown and its forever fickle audiences to task, staging a whimsical spoof, spinning a love story and delivering on the promise of an infectious, entertaining musical. It only helps that Kelly and screenwriters Adolph Green and Betty Comden set the film in the roaring '20s, making it as much of a period piece in 2012 as it was in 1952. Times have changed, sure; cinematic styles have followed suit, no argument here. But therein lies the secret to Singin's timelessness. Kelly and company touch on everything from the ongoing evolution of moviemaking to the changing of the silent-films guard, the emergence of talkies, the ever-competitive studio system, the trials and tribulations of development hell, temperamental test audiences and failed screenings, crafty filmmaker fixes, public and private romances, the rise and fall of stars and starlets... it's 21st century Hollywood via the '20s as depicted in the '50s. And apparently very little has changed. Modern filmfans will get the same kick out of Singin' in the Rain as their parents and grandparents did so long ago; more so even, as Hollywood's wheelings and dealings are, thanks to our cranky friend the Internet, more transparent and widely broadcast than before. Kelly's energy and enthusiasm, leading lady Debbie Reynolds' winning smile and presence, and Donald O'Connor's peppy playfulness make the entire musical larger than life too, no matter how quaint the once-lavish $4 million production may seem by today's standards. The vaudevillian comedy, perky line delivery, and slapstick are easily the most dated elements of the film, but it doesn't take long to fall in love with them all the same. O'Connor's whirlwind performance of "Make 'Em Laugh" does just that with a jaw-dropping dance routine that must be watched at least three times to catch everything the deceptively frenzied singer pulls off with a hat and his own limbs. The tongue twisting interplay between Kelly, Reynolds and O'Connor is irresistible and unforgettable, no hyperbole necessary. Or their arm-in-arm, left-right-left-right trot down a flight of stairs in "Good Morning," or the moment the trio concoct their lip-syncing scheme, or any number of lightning-quick exchanges that pass between the three. And lest I forget, there's Kelly and O'Connor tapping circles around a befuddled diction coach in "Moses Supposes." (Before puppeteering the poor man.) Good luck coming out on the other end of that one without an enormous grin on your face. Even when Singin' in the Rain isn't trying to be an enthralling trip back in time, the sheer exuberance of the actors, the fearlessness of the dancing and singing, and the vitality of Freed and Brown's songs are impossible to resist. Irrepressible smiling, laughing and, yes, genuine astonishment follow in rapid succession. Try as I might, I can't make a more compelling case for Singin' in the Rain. So consider, if only for a moment, that a 1952 musical, if given the chance, could be one of the most gratifying movie-watching experiences of 2012. Consider, if only for a moment, that your hesitance to give a 1952 musical something as simple as a 103-minute chance is only depriving you of an eye-opening, expectation-shattering experience. Consider, if only for a moment, the possibility that your aversion to older movies is only limiting your cinematic horizons. Singin' in the Rain is a true classic; perhaps even, as the AFI continues to declare it, the greatest movie musical of all time. And, frankly, there's no time like the present. So stop scoffing, stop thumbing your nose, stop shrugging your shoulders. Give Singin' in the Rain a fighting chance and see -- just see -- where it takes you. Arguably the greatest movie musical of all time, Singin' in the Rain holds up well enough to win over a whole new generation of fans. Whether they give it a fair shot to do so is another matter entirely. Thankfully, Warner has granted the film an extensive 4K remaster, an impressive (albeit slightly flawed) video presentation, an absolutely terrific DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track and a few solid extras, among them an audio commentary and a newly produced high-definition documentary. The concurrently released Collector's Edition gift set is pricier, but offers a second disc of SD bonus content, a 48-page hardcover book, a full-size movie-themed umbrella, and more. Regardless of which version you choose, just be sure to choose Singin' in the Rain. It doesn't matter what year you were born, Kelly and Freed's timeless classic deserves a shot at earning a spot in your collection. Cast Notes: Gene Kelly (Don Lockwood), Donald O'Connor (Cosmo Brown), Debbie Reynolds (Kathy Selden), Jean Hagen (Lina Lamont), Millard Mitchell (R.F. Simpson), Cyd Charisse (Dancer), Douglas Fowley (Roscoe Dexter), Rita Moreno (Zelda Zanders). IMDb Rating (07/25/14): 8.4/10 from 113,074 users Top 250: #85 IMDb Rating (07/18/12): 8.4/10 from 77,760 users Top 250: #84 IMDb Rating (10/15/07): 8.3/10 from 34,592 users Top 250: #73 IMDb Rating (05/01/01): 8.5/10 from 7,280 users Top 250: #44
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