'Jersey Boys' has just about every showbiz cliché

In 'Jersey Boys,' the one bright spot is Christopher Walken playing a Mafia don.

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Warner Bros./AP
John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli in the movie version of the musical "Jersey Boys."

The hit musical “Jersey Boys,” now approaching its 10th year on Broadway, would seem to be a movie natural, but you might be better off listening to a CD of The Four Seasons instead. This movie about the up-and-down fortunes of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, directed by Clint Eastwood from a script by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice based on their original show book, hauls out just about every showbiz cliché in the catalog.

The actors, starting with 38-year-old John Lloyd Young as Valli (reprising his Tony Award-winning performance from a decade before), all look way older, especially in the earlier scenes, than their characters. The sole bright spot is Christopher Walken playing a benevolent Mafia don. Grade: C+ (Rated R for language throughout.)   

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