Let's Sing Again: Is it worth the high notes?

Is it worth the watch?

If you have a weird soft spot for 1930s musicals where everything is a little too perfect and the kid is the smartest person in the room, then sure. It's a relic.

Anyone expecting a gritty look at the Great Depression should probably steer clear, unless you want to see how movies tried to pretend the world was just one big stage show waiting to happen. It’s basically pure sugar.

Bobby Breen is the whole show here. He’s got that high-pitched soprano thing going that sounds like it’s being beamed in from another dimension.

It’s impressive, sure. But it’s also the kind of performance that makes you wonder if he ever just hung out and played with a ball or something.

The New York vibe

The movie lands in New York and suddenly everyone is a caricature. There’s a lot of rushing around and people talking way faster than anyone actually talks.

I noticed a guy in the background of one scene who spends about thirty seconds just trying to figure out where to stand. It’s the small stuff like that which makes these old films feel alive, even when the script is falling flat.

There is a musicality to the way the scenes are cut, though it feels a bit like a Nutcracker Suite production at times—lots of movement, not a ton of weight.

Sometimes the film just stops the story because, well, it’s time for another song. It’s not subtle. It’s not trying to be.

• The kid really can sing, no joke.
• The adults all act like they’re in a high-stakes poker game, even when they're just eating breakfast.
• I kept waiting for someone to actually show a little grit, but the movie just doubles down on the polish.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Marines Are Coming, where things just happen because the plot needs them to happen, logic be damned.

By the time the final act rolls around, you’ve heard the same three melodies enough times to hum them in your sleep. Do we need another reprise? The movie clearly thinks so.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even trying to be. It’s just a kid singing his heart out while the world around him acts like a cartoon.

Sometimes that’s enough. Sometimes it’s just exhausting. 🎵