Newsies (1992)

Twirls, Leaps, and Tap Dancing Boys? Such a miraculous sight can be watched in the movie Newsies (directed by Kenny Ortega) released by Disney in 1992. The movie centers in 1899 New York, when kids (the Newsies) would sell newspapers to make a living. The story follows Jack Kelly (Christian Bale), and his closest comrade, David Jacobs (David Moscow), who lead the Newsies in a strike against Joseph Pulitzer (Robert Duvall) who had raised the cost of newspapers. Throughout the movie, scenes filled with amazing choreography and catchy songs get stuck in you head all day. Although this musical has been entertaining, it also contains some historical accuracy. In the movie, Jack Kelly plays the leader of the Newsies. In reality, the leader of the Newsies was named Kid Blink because the boy would wear an eye-patch. This character is seen sporadically thought the movie, maintaining the real life person of Kid Blink involved in the strike. Theatre is always looking for drama to add, and displaying Pulitzer as the "mean, selfish and prideful" man conveyed the audience to be interested in the overall plot of Newsies. In real life, Pulitzer started off as this character, but later sided with unions during many strikes, and compromised with the Newsies. Overall, this movie was highly entertaining and hilarious to watch. The actors with all the dancing and singing gave us the intricate show of the Newsies.

In 1992, amidst classics such as "A League of Their Own" and "The Muppet Christmas Carol", a movie, a musical movie hit theaters: "Newsies". Musicals, especially that of the live-action species, were few and far between in the 1990s. Of the small number that there were, many were not well-received by critics nor audiences. "Newsies" was no different. Upon its release, critics such as Roger Ebert called it "forgettable" and "pointless". Based on the Newsboys' Strike of 1899, the movie tells the story of the newsboys' of New York attempt at striking after the increase in price of papers. Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, owners of the World and the Journal, respectively, raised the cost of one hundred papers from fifty cents to sixty cents. Led by veteran newsy Jack Kelly (Christian Bale) and "the walking mouth" David Jacobs (David Moscow), the newsies held rallies and meetings to unite against this injustice.Though the cast was and remains full of mostly unknowns, the performances were relatively well done. From time to time, the acting suffers from a clunky, occasionally non- cohesive script, but the characters were there. David is very clearly dedicated to not only the newsies, but also his family, as one of the only newsies with parents. Crutchy (Marty Belafsky) is shown to be no less of a newsy because of his crippled leg, and quickly steals the heart of anyone watching due to his wit and endearing personality. Jack, the leader, the one every newsy aspires to be, is portrayed in the entire complexity of his character: not just the arrogant, joking, hardened street urchin, but the kid who has always wanted a family and longs for the sunshine of Santa Fe.This movie, once again, is a musical, which means two things are certain: music and dancing. Limited to a screen, the choreography is at times cramped and peculiarly timed, but overall it adds to the charm of the movie, making you giggle if nothing else, and is very impressive. The music and songs, however, are guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days on end. "Carrying the Banner", arguably the anthem of the newsies, and "King of New York" are catchy, uplifting, and motivating. So much so that you might want to go and deliver some papers yourself. In contrast, "Santa Fe", the song about Jack's longing for a home and travel, is a solemn reminder of the reality faced by orphans on the streets of New York City. The songs are on occasion seemingly random in placement, but just as with the choreography, they add to the overall charm of the film.All in all, as a musical fan and someone with appreciation for cheesy movies, I'd give "Newsies" a 7.5/10. While it is not as well-executed as it could be, I had an enjoyable time watching it and would recommend it to anyone looking to just have fun for about two hours. It's a quaint history lesson set to catchy song and impressive dance, what's not to love?

You know that bad picture from grade school that you don't dare show anyone because it's just too… embarrassing? That must be how the multiple successful actors in Newsies feel after watching their performance in the 1992 film. With poor acting, B+ at best singing, and sloppily added in side plots, this film is two thumbs down! The story starts out in 1899 New York City, where Jack Kelly (Christian Bale), your generic "rebellious hero" character and unofficial leader of the newspaper boys, or newsies, makes his entrance in a poorly choreographed song that sets the scene for the rest of the blunderous movie. With the amount of unlikely fight scenes that seem as though created by a little boy (because our hero obviously never gets hit, he's too perfect!), you begin to wonder if Bale used this movie as training for his Dark Knight films. The predictable plot continues, and we are introduced to lovable, Disney cookie-cutter characters such as Crutchie, Davey, and Les. The diversity is much appreciated, as it is always fresh and exciting to watch a film all about boys, because who needs gender equality? Between the forced accents and multiple mentions of big, bad, Brooklyn, you sure can't forget the setting of the story! The 121 minute flick can get a little slow, but if you ever get sleepy, you can count on off-key singing to wake you right back up. The worst part of this family-friendly movie was the completely unnecessary romance angle that was squeezed in and left us all confused. Jack meets his partner Les' sister once and by the end of the movie they're walking off into the sunset together, which contradicts the whole message of the film, which is something like brotherhood, solidarity, and trust. If you are ever unfortunate enough to watch this movie, make sure to get comfy, it's going to be a long two hours.

Although released in 1992, the movie Newsies still captures my attention today. The movie is Disney production directed by Kenny Ortega. Newsies is a musical filled with catchy songs and interactive dancing. The cast includes a boy named Jack Kelly who is consider the leader of the newsies. Jack is followed by many other newsies boys with ages that vary. The movie is focused on a strike that is started by newsboys who are angered by the raising prices of the newspapers. The newsies go on strike to earn respect for the all the newsboys and it soon attracts more boys to fight against Hearst and Pulitzer. The movie does not have a lot of female characters which was a little disappointing, but overall the movie was intriguing and fun to watch.Jack Kelly is followed by David who is a newsboy that has the brains. Along with David, is his little brother Les who loves to follow Jack. David and Les are new to the newsies, but easily fit in. Jack is involved in a romance with Sarah who is David's sister and throughout the movie they grew closer and closer. I would highly recommend the movie Newsies because it is a movie filled with with catchy songs and dancing. The movie also provides historical information about how newsboys were treated and how newspapers were created and sold.