Christian Bale Fans, Be Honest, Have You Actually Seen Newsies?

[Catman]

Back in 1992, no one saw this movie. It was a legendary flop. In fact, it was the least successful movie that Disney ever made. I kid you not. These days, people seem to randomly bring it up a lot. It's like the hidden gem that every Christian Bale fan has to watch. So, I ask you guys, have you actually seen this movie? If so, what did you think?

Tonight, I had the pleasure to see this. And, yes, I said pleasure. Newsies, believe it or not, is kinda awesome. I never would have thought that a musical about the 1899 newspaper boy strike would be so hilarious. And, that it would be intentionally hilarious. It feels like a cruel prank by Disney. This film deals with the serious issue of child labor and yet all the characters are ridiculously over-the-top. They all sound like 40-year-old mobsters. Meanwhile, Christian Bale is the intense actor that he always is. LOL. But, seriously, this scene says it all:

[YT]6Dy8AFhIDQU[/YT]

 

[X-Ray]

Yes, I've seen it. Brooklyn kicked ass. He was the film's Rufio.

Rufi ... oooooOOOOO.

Awww ........

 

[CBGB]

I'm not a Christian Bale fan, and I've never seen Newsies. But, I saw American Psycho just recently, and I loved him in it. He was delightfully insane.

 

[JP]

I really don't like Christian Bale.. but Newsies is ****ing amazing.


SANTA FE

 

[flickchick85]

Actually, sad as it may be, Newsies is how I became a Christian Bale fan. I mean, I've always loved musicals so that's why I saw it (not in theaters, though - it was already on TV or home video...can't remember which), but I was tween girl and thought he was cute. That's the reason I sought out everything I could see him in like Swing Kids and Little Women. It wasn't 'till much later that I realized he was actually an awesome actor too, lol.

I still love Newsies for nostalgic reasons. And yes, it is amazing and hilarious.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

The title of this thread made me laugh. I am a Christian Bale fan, but no, I have not yet seen Newsies. I want to, though

 

[Timstuff]

This movie has Bill Pullman dancing on a table. What is NOT awesome about that?

 

[terry78]

I saw Pocahontas.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

I don't know why, but I love Newsies, even though I hate musicals. But the songs in this one aren't that bad.

 

[batman11]

Yes, I've seen it. Yes, I love it.

 

[Metamorpho1977]

I saw it on a band trip one time. They played it on the bus while we were riding. I don't remember much about it though.

 

[cryptic name]

own the dvd. love it. now if you really want to test Bale fandom; who here has see Velvet Goldmine

 

[Catman]

I don't know why, but I love Newsies, even though I hate musicals. But the songs in this one aren't that bad.

That's cause they were written by Alan Menken, the dude who did all the classic Disney movies from the early `90s.

 

[Bim]

own the dvd. love it. now if you really want to test Bale fandom; who here has see Velvet Goldmine

*raises hand*LOVE this movie! let's face it, where else can see see Batman and Obi-Wan get down and busy, huh? that's a whole group of fangirls' fantasy right there

For the record yes, i've seen Newsies and i did enjoy it

 

[bullets]

It's on my list of films to see , along with Empire of the Sun.

 

[Catman]

along with Empire of the Sun.

Empire of the Sun is a great movie. Possibly the most underrated film that Steven Spielberg ever made.

 

[Doctor Jones]

*raises hand*LOVE this movie! let's face it, where else can see see Batman and Obi-Wan get down and busy, huh? that's a whole group of fangirls' fantasy right there

For the record yes, i've seen Newsies and i did enjoy it

I thought women don't like male on male action? This is just even questioning it.

 

[flickchick85]

Haha, random pre-American Psycho Bale movies I've seen:

Empire of the Sun
Newsies
Little Women
Swing Kids
Velvet Goldmine
Metroland
A Midsummer Night's Dream

He as quite the eclectic resume.

 

[DACrowe]

I saw it as a kid growing up and enjoyed it. I had the chance to watch it again recently (abut a year ago).

It plays much better for children.

I love the setting of turn of the century New York and the setting of unions just starting and the wars that were breaking out from that. It may be nostalgia for me, but Disney's magic gloss to make history seem all glowing still works for me. I think the cast is still excellent, Bale in particular as was that actor who played David. Pullman was solid and Duvall hammed it up to the sky. That was very enjoyable.

The strongest aspect was the music. It was written by the same guy who wrote the music for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Like those movies, the music is very nostalgic and gets under your skin in a good way.

However, it suffers greatly from its direction. I think it is far too campy in some bits and the director, who was also the choreographer, is far too obsessed with dance sequences. Like when he has the Newsies do line dances in protest with drums. Sometimes it works like during the "King of New York" sequence. And sometimes it is shoehorned in because he is a choreographer and is tone deaf to the scene. Like when Bale sings "Santa Fe" which is a moving bittersweet ballad that he stops halfway through in to do some very lame line dancing by himself in the middle of the street.

I think there is a reason the director went on to be a Disney TV director and his greatest success is the High School Musical films (which have the same camp problems and bad dance numbers, but suffer from worse screenplays, casts, settings and music).

As a stage choreographer Ortega is great and helped design many of Michael Jackson's iconic performances. But he never could make it transfer to film perfectly and I think that holds this movie back. Other directors like Baz Luhrmann or Rob Marshall show how you can do a musical with broad dance sequences in contemporary film (and Tim Burton shows how you can can skip it all together and still come up with a masterpiece like Sweneey Todd). I feel Glee is a master at marrying camp, dramatic story, and epic musical numbers. If Ryan Murphy was around in the early '90s I think he could have made Newsies a classic.

All my opinion of course.

P.S. This does prove that Bale can sing and along with Empire of the Sun, Velvet Goldmine, Swing Kids, and Little Women shows he was incredibly talented even in his youth and probably one of the best child actors in film history.

 

[OtherwiseKnownAs]

I don't care what anyone says, this was a good movie.

 

[danoyse]

I saw it in 1992 and we were the only people in the theater. But I became a Bale fan with Empire of the Sun.

 

[Catman]

I think there is a reason the director went on to be a Disney TV director

His best movie is still Hocus Pocus.

 

[Fanticon]

Yes I've seen it...a long time ago. On VHS :P

 

[Brother Jack]

Empire of the Sun is a great movie. Possibly the most underrated film that Steven Spielberg ever made.

I would say that it is. Bale gives one of the best performances from a child actor ever in it. Beautiful movie.

 

[DACrowe]

His best movie is still Hocus Pocus.

Oh snap. I forgot Ortega did that. Perhaps I was too judgmental as that was really good.

Then again, it's not a musical.