“West Side Story” is a classic and the 50^th anniversary edition has just been released on Blu-ray and DVD with loads of extras, 7.1 DTS-HD master audio, and digital remastering. It has won 10 Academy Awards and the movie was originally released in theatres in 1961. “West Side Story” follows two rival gangs, The Sharks and The Jets, which are on the brink of destroying each other. However, Tony (Richard Beymer), the co-founder of The Jets, has fallen in love with Maria (Natalie Wood), whose brother, Bernardo (George Chakiris), is the leader of the Sharks.

This was my first time watching “West Side Story” and I was surprised at all the extras that were packed with this Blu-ray. They included several featurettes, song specific commentary, lots of behind the scenes footage and lots of other extras on a whole separate Blu-ray. I thought the story was like a more modern Romeo and Juliet and Tony and Maria were very likeable and relatable. My favorite songs were “In America” and “Tonight” because they were so fun to listen to and easy to sing along with. I also enjoyed the scenic shots of New York and the interesting visuals throughout the movie. This movie did an excellent job of immersing you in their world.

However, I did have some gripe with this movie. For instance, I liked the dance-off scene during the city dance at the gym, but thought the dancing during the fight scenes were a bit odd and took away from the grittiness of a gang fighting. Also, even though I thought the digital remastering was mostly done well, the coloring looked a bit off on some of the characters. The bad coloring made most of The Sharks look like they spent too much time in a tanning bed. Other than that, I enjoyed “West Side Story” and am giving it a “B.” I recommend it to Shakespeare fans and those that really love to watch Broadway musicals.