Alas, another great musical from FOX has been released in time for the holidays! "WEST SIDE STORY," a genuine "classic," only gets better with time! This reviewer recalls not having liked it as a youth, surprisingly. At 17, the idea of anyone, let alone tough kids from the street, suddenly breaking out into song, seemed to ridiculous to overcome. However, having matured,(hopefully) these moments and everything else just pulls the viewer into the stylized world that Director Robert Wise has so masterfully created.

"WEST SIDE STORY" is basically a modernized('50s setting) of "Romeo and Juliet," pitting an all around nice guy, "Tony," against the bitter gang members, only to eager to keep him and the love of his life, "Maria," from a future together. Richard Beymer as Tony, and Natalie Wood as Maria, are terrific, but everyone is perfectly cast here! Sure, the voices are typically synched by other vocal talents during songs, but it's not noticeable, and the music,....ah, the music!!!!!! Moving from a symphonic overture to poignant, love-struck songs, and even hilarity, the songs from "WEST SIDE STORY" are unforgettable, and it's likely even younger viewers will be humming to them(discretely) when no adults are around to hear!

When Criterion released a special edition laserdisc for this film, Danny DeVito praised the format for what it had done with this specific film. He cited the loads of extras and more. Well, it would be great to hear his opinion of the blu-ray, now that the newest technological format has been fitted for this film. Well, he might be angered at the first 20 minutes of the film! There are sporadic moments of bad compression problems. Shimmering and other artifacts are intrusive when they occur, detracting from an otherwise great looking image.  After that first 20 minutes, there are barely any compression problems worth noting. Having seen the laserdisc and dvd numerous times, this blu-ray release easily surpasses any previous effort. Colors have never been as vibrant as they appear here! The highly stylized production design is even more impressive due to the richness achieved throughout, and dance numbers, due to the colorful costuming, are more captivating than words can describe. The detail is also flawless throughout! One frequently hears about the fine texture of clothes being cited in blu-ray releases having great depth. Well, the detail of Bernardo's tie during one dance number alone, is but one of hundreds of instances wherein this gem shines!  WOW! The studio has stated this release went through a major restoration, and it's obvious during virtually every scene! Sure, it starts off a bit disconcerting, but when things get going in the right direction, it really makes up for a rough start!

While the packaging cites this release having a 7.1 mix, what's presented is a re-designed product from the original four track elements. So, it's disappointing that the restored 6-track wasn't provided, making the full potential of surround elements diminished, as is obvious in the film's opening musical sequence. However, the overall dynamic range is terrific, and surrounds are well utilized as the film unfolds, with some numbers getting more attention than others. The lossy mix isn't all that it could've been, but it's still wonderful and notably better than the dolby digital mix of the dvd.

The mesmerizing choreography within the individual dance scenes can be accessed via seamless branching, or played on their own, and it's well worth checking out. What the guys do in one roof-top sequence, while fitted with colorful clothes and ties, is breath-taking!

Stephen Sondheim provides commentary for specific songs, and his insight and candor is really refreshing.

Along with a storyboad-to-film comparison montage, there are trailers(all in HD), as well as two other featurettes and a dvd of the film as well! DON'T MISS THIS!!! GRAB IT!!!