“For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” The final line of Shakespeare’s legendary play seems to be the only reason Juliet & Romeo is inversely titled the way it is, teasing a movie that flips the mirror on the story we know — or tries to. Armed with some fantastic A-listers and an aesthetic a la the musical play & Juliet, this movie musical take on Romeo and Juliet looked campy but promising. However, as someone who has read and watched plenty of Shakespearean retellings, I know it’s possible to tell the same story and have much more of an impact.
Juliet & Romeo Is Play Acting At Imbuing The Story With History & Politics
Jason Isaacs & Rebel Wilson Don’t Turn This Into Prestige Drama
Capturing your attention from the beginning is that this version of the story incorporates bigger historical and political themes, with Verona facing an impending invasion and Paris’ (Dennis Andres) potential marriage to Juliet (Clara Rugaard) being an avenue to military reinforcements. Yet, for the most part, these additions come across as lacking in any relevance or sophistication. They are supposed to make the characters’ lives more strenuous, but they mean nothing to us, just another obstacle in the story to which we all know the end.
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One only somewhat cloying scene between Romeo (Jamie Ward) and Mercutio (Nicholas Podany) is the only time I felt like the politics ever mattered, as they discuss how their personal feelings towards Lord Montague (Jason Isaacs) play into this, since Mercutio is an adopted Montague son in this version. Rebel Wilson as Lady Capulet should have been a huge highlight, but she is pointlessly mean to Juliet one moment and then joins in on an empty feminist ballad the next, which cuts between various female characters singing about demanding expectations.
Romeo and Juliet have an interesting musical number, one of the better-written tracks, where they wonder if they simply aren’t meant for each other.
The veteran cast plays their roles well enough with the shoddy material they are given, with the Friar (Derek Jacobi) touching upon a few valuable points about rewriting history. Additionally, Romeo and Juliet have an interesting musical number, one of the better-written tracks, where they wonder if they simply aren’t meant for each other. It’s an intriguing moment of doubt we never see in adaptations that might have also bolstered the storyline of the political pressures the characters face. Of course, their resolve returns as soon as the song is over.
Everything Else About Juliet & Romeo Is Like A Bad Teen Pop Music Video
Making For An Overall Boring Shakespearean Movie Musical
Juliet & Romeo‘s pop songs all sound like the same bland expression of preteen angst. The choreography failed to really engage me; some flips and lifts are maybe supposed to be impressive, but not highlighted well by the cinematography. Otherwise, it’s nothing but bright colors and stilted acting. After the year that gave us both Wicked and Emilia Pérez, I’ve been thinking a lot about how a good movie musical segues into its musical numbers, and Juliet & Romeo starts each one with all the grace of a freight train.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how a good movie musical segues into its musical numbers, and Juliet & Romeo starts each one with all the grace of a freight train.
The one musical number that has some actual personality is from the Apothecary (sassily played by Dan Folger). It still started abruptly, but at least it made me smile for a few minutes. Ultimately, this movie looks like it is borrowing its style from Broadway musicals Something Rotten and & Juliet, but doesn’t have these works’ outrageous tongue-in-cheek humor or exploration of the subtext of Shakespeare’s works. Anyone even remotely invested in these elements will find Juliet & Romeo‘s subplot about the star-crossed romance between Mercutio and his commoner girlfriend Veronica (Martina Ortiz Luis) laughable.
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I’m a sucker for Shakespeare retellings and wanted this to be another one that would delight me, but it is painfully dull. Everything up to the twist ending and a weird tease for a sequel (please no) are misfires at resonant emotions and themes, while the actual substance is preachy rather than effective, and the execution isn’t anything to sing about either. Those who just want to enjoy the sparkles and a few lines of Shakespeare can perhaps find some entertainment here. For me, Juliet & Romeo is just Romeo and Juliet all over again, with nothing new worth getting excited about.
Juliet & Romeo
5/10
- Release Date
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May 9, 2025
- Runtime
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122 minutes
- Director
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Timothy Scott Bogart
- Producers
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Andrea Iervolino, Monika Bacardi
- A lighthearted and glitzy retelling of a familiar story
- There are a few sparse, interesting musical numbers that elevate the story
- The attempts to have more thematic meaning are superficial and don?t land
- The musical numbers aren?t well written, and many sound very similar to one another
- The characters are uncompelling, brought to life with mediocre acting