You know how some people read "Playboy" for the articles? This is one movie you'll only want to watch for the music. Especially if you're a Neil Diamond fan.
"The Jazz Singer" is supposed to be an update of the Al Jolson chestnut (replete with Diamond appearing in black-face at one point!!) but the only connection between these two films is that a cantor's son wants to break into show business. Other than that, they're about as similar as Chardonnay and Kool-Aid.
Diamond is a singer. Period. He can't act, he can't even look at people when he talks to them and he certainly doesn't have the charisma to carry a film. Olivier was a good actor... a looooong time ago. Here, he's just well-aged ham with an accent.
Like I said, the best part of this movie is the soundtrack. Heck, I have the CD and I love it. What Diamond fan doesn't know and/or love "America", "Hello Again", "Love on the Rocks" and even "On the Robert E. Lee"? I even liked where Diamond auditions for a spot as a country bar singer and breaks into "You are My Sunshine". It's not on CD, though. Bummer.
To sum up - all the dramatic highlights are really low-lights; the so-called actors involved with this should all turn in their SAG cards; and it's small wonder Fleischer has been regulated to directing films like "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid" and "Amityville 3: The Demon" after this disaster.
But at least it's a disaster you can dance to.
Three stars. For the music. Ignore all the rest of that "Jazz".
"The Jazz Singer" is supposed to be an update of the Al Jolson chestnut (replete with Diamond appearing in black-face at one point!!) but the only connection between these two films is that a cantor's son wants to break into show business. Other than that, they're about as similar as Chardonnay and Kool-Aid.
Diamond is a singer. Period. He can't act, he can't even look at people when he talks to them and he certainly doesn't have the charisma to carry a film. Olivier was a good actor... a looooong time ago. Here, he's just well-aged ham with an accent.
Like I said, the best part of this movie is the soundtrack. Heck, I have the CD and I love it. What Diamond fan doesn't know and/or love "America", "Hello Again", "Love on the Rocks" and even "On the Robert E. Lee"? I even liked where Diamond auditions for a spot as a country bar singer and breaks into "You are My Sunshine". It's not on CD, though. Bummer.
To sum up - all the dramatic highlights are really low-lights; the so-called actors involved with this should all turn in their SAG cards; and it's small wonder Fleischer has been regulated to directing films like "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid" and "Amityville 3: The Demon" after this disaster.
But at least it's a disaster you can dance to.
Three stars. For the music. Ignore all the rest of that "Jazz".