'Jersey Boys' has just about every showbiz cliché
In 'Jersey Boys,' the one bright spot is Christopher Walken playing a Mafia don.
John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli in the movie version of the musical "Jersey Boys."
Warner Bros./AP
The hit musical “Jersey Boys,” now approaching its 10th year on Broadway, would seem to be a movie natural, but you might be better off listening to a CD of The Four Seasons instead. This movie about the up-and-down fortunes of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, directed by Clint Eastwood from a script by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice based on their original show book, hauls out just about every showbiz cliché in the catalog.
The actors, starting with 38-year-old John Lloyd Young as Valli (reprising his Tony Award-winning performance from a decade before), all look way older, especially in the earlier scenes, than their characters. The sole bright spot is Christopher Walken playing a benevolent Mafia don. Grade: C+ (Rated R for language throughout.)