If you can't get your hands on enough movie musicals, get ready for some amazing presentations. In celebration of Steven spielberg's highly anticipated, acclaimed new conception of "west side story" (now the national release), and memory of the recently deceased icon Stephen sondheim (he's contribution to the musical is hard to exaggerate), we have collected and ranked the best in the history of musical movies.
Since the first "talking movie" jazz singer was released in 1927 (which, sadly, wasn't a great movie in itself), movie musicals have evolved and endured. For this list of the best movie musicals of all time, we considered the film's overall greatness, its aging, reviewability and impact on pop culture. In the case of stage to screen adaptations, we judge only on the merits of the film, not the source material. We include classic animated musicals, but this list does not include musical documentaries, non-singing dance films, or concert films (including Fantasia). To be clear: these are excellent, must-see musical movies, and we recommend everyone see them at least once.
In ascending order, this is our ranking of the best movie musicals of all time. All titles are available for rent and purchase on major streaming platforms unless otherwise noted.
Perfect Pitch (2012)
Jason Moore's sly, dazzling crowd-pleasing teen comedy -- The debut of The A cappella group The Bellas -- was met with positive reviews and a box office hit. It also proved to be a Hollywood calling card for many young, purely talented actors, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Adam Devon. Pitch Perfect 2 was a spectacular box office hit. The third outing was disappointing.
Perfect Pitch (2012)
Jason Moore's sly, dazzling crowd-pleasing teen comedy -- The debut of The A cappella group The Bellas -- was met with positive reviews and a box office hit. It also proved to be a Hollywood calling card for many young, purely talented actors, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Adam Devon. Pitch Perfect 2 was a spectacular box office hit. The third outing was disappointing.
Moire na (2016).
Stunning 3D vistas and toe-tapping ear worms are the highlights of Disney Studios' musical comedy adventure, which tells the story of a Polynesian girl who sets out to save her island from disaster with the help of demigods. The story is very common, but the lovely audio-visual but let a person linger. Was nominated for an Academy Award for Best animated feature, losing to the same studio's Zootopia.
