Tommy Details

This is the original version, not the recently re-released two disk edition.

This rock-opera was directed by the wierd and wonderful Ken Russel in 1975. This marvellous rock orientated musical was well known due to the band 'The Who' whom write all the songs for the 'tommy' sound-track, 'The Who' band members (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend, Keith Moon & John Entlwistle)also had star roles in the movie. This brilliant musical's story line is about a boy who witnessed his mother and her lover murder his father who was lost and persumed dead at war. when his mother and her lover tells him 'you didnt see it', 'you didnt hear it' & 'you will say nothing to know one' mixes with the young boy's traumer at that moment and causes him to become deaf, dumb & blind. As the boy (Roger Daltrey) grows into his adult-hood his mother and her lover attempts on numerous occassions to cure his illness. Some of the people the mother and lover go to in seek of a cure for there boy are the preacher (Eric Clapton), the acid queen (Tina Turner) & the local doctor (Jack Nicolson), all of these attempts to cure fail up until the moment the boy discovers pinball and defeats the pinball wizard (Elton John). Now he is cured he becoms a god, a teenage heart throb, and a holiday camp owner.

This musical is one of the best ever made & its also one of those films that is even liked by those who do not like 'The Who'. 'Tommy' hosts somthing for everyone!

Great Music, Didn't like some of the visual effects

As Musicals go I find they work much better on the stage rather than the screen. This is no exception.

I first saw Tommy on a 2005 Musical tour, and the show was great. Good music, great visual effects, real atmosphere. Unfortunately I don' think it works as well on the screen. The Music is still there, and this time sung by the original stars 'The Who' and Elton John, but some of the visual effects were just bizarre, and the scene changes too quick. It was as if the film was going too fast to follow.

The one scene that really got me was when the beans etc. came pouring out of the TV. I guess it was supposed to represent sanity's breaking point, but it seamed to me as though rolling around in all the gunk was meant to be sexual to the viewer, sexual in the way that mud wrestling is, not really my cup of tea. The pervert was a bit too over the top as well.

I guess it's artistic license and in some places it works well, but some are just not my taste. Maybe it will work better watching a second time as there is so much to take in at one time, not that I'm in a rush to watch it again, although I can't get the songs out of my head.

The film itself is OK, but the music really makes it. There are some really good songs in this. If you're a fan of The Who or Elton John's music then you should see this. If you get the opportunity to see it on the stage then it's even better.