Tommy (1975) review

(9/10)

For being a rock opera, this wasn't bad at all!

PLOT:Tommy (Roger Daltrey) is unfortunate when he witnesses his father's death and goes deaf, blind, and dumb. His mom (Ann-Margaret) and his dad (Oliver Reed) try every possible thing to cure him, but they all fail. One day, the couple find out that Tommy has a great skill for pinball. Tommy instantly becomes the famous pinball wizard of the world and to some, a religous icon. Will Tommy ever regain his senses? Will he continue to be famous? I'll leave you there. This is a very unique plot, executed pretty well.



ACTING:Some acting was overdone, but I felt it needed to be since this was a "rock opera". Like silent films, any kind of opera needs to be dramatic. One thing that made me question the acting in this movie is the presence of Ann-Margaret, whom I despise for most of her talents. She was decent in here, but my opinion of her hasn't changed. The shining performances are Roger Daltrey as Tommy, Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, and Tina Turner as the Acid Queen. I keep debating on whether or not Reed's performance is good or not; he plays a unique role, but it sacrifices some of his showmanship. I'd say overall, he did pretty good.

SCORE:The soundtrack is a complete musical adaptation of The Who's album Tommy with the same backstory. The score/soundtrack ranges from the weirdest tracks ("Fiddle About") to the most rockin' songs I've heard in a musical ("Pinball Wizard", "Listening to You/See Me, Feel Me", "Eyesight to the Blind"). Overall, I'd say the soundtrack was pretty rockin'.



OTHER CONTENT:The movie is quite unique. If the plot doesn't trip you up, then the visuals will! The visuals take you on a ride through a bad trip that ends up looking so good. This film is quite a fun ride. For being one of the few 70s chrome rock operas, this is pretty brilliant.

OVERALL,an awesome rock opera with a unique plot, some overdone acting, rocking score, and a visual trip to elsewhere.