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Saturday, April 27, 2013

Jekyll & Hyde: The David Hasselhoff version

I rented this movie from the library with a little trepidation. I'm not a real David Hasselhoff fan and had not heard real great reviews of him, but I really wanted my mom to be able to see the musical, since wasn't able to go when we were in Chicago.

I have to say I really was pleasantly surprised at this movie. David Hasselhoff was really good. So, so, so much better than I had anticipated. It was fun to see this after seeing it performed in Chicago. The stage in this movie was much smaller, but they worked well with what they had. I wish that the camera had stayed still in the audience instead of zooming in and out and moving around the stage. I feel like I missed some of the musical because I wasn't able to see the whole stage all of the time. Also, it's a little odd having a close-up of someone acting on stage, because their features are more exaggerated.

The singing was really great. David Hasselhoff really was amazing when he sang as both Jekyll and Hyde. I was saddened that they had omitted several of the songs in this version - one of my favorites no less. I realize it's not really appropriate, but I like Bring on the Men. I also really like Insane, which was also missing, among others. It was interesting to see another actor and director's take on the story. This version wasn't nearly as seductive (or violent) as the Chicago version - which I realize I'm partial to. The difference in the emotions during the song Dangerous Game in both versions was interesting. I really didn't like this movie's take on it.

If you haven't seen the musical, this is a really great introduction to it. If you have, it's a lot of fun to compare and contrast it to other stage productions.

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