Though purists of the original 1961 film will likely never give Speilberg’s re-do a second thought (at least not a positive one), there’s plenty to like about this version, starting with Janusz Kaminsky’s stunning cinematography. There are some updates that work and others that don’t, but at its heart, it’s the same haunting story with the same incredible music and lyrics. Kudos to Rachel Zegler, who offers up a Maria for a new generation, but it’s Ariana DeBose who steals the show as Anita. The only weak link is the woefully-out-of-his league Ansel Elgort as Tony. Did we really need this new version? Probably not. But it’s certainly not the sacrilegious trainwreck it could have been.
4/5 stars.