A Masterpiece!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Seeing its never-ending popularity and its influence on the musical theatre, the 25th anniversary of Les Misérables had to be spectacular. Of course, it can always be argued that staging the show as a concert will never fully do it justice, but in my opinion, such a decision helps to appreciate the scale of what Les Mis has become. Seeing the crowds filling the O2 arena is also a part of the experience of watching the anniversary. The spectacle that was created is truly epic and I found with pleasure that this time (unlike with the 10th anniversary concert) the musical wasn't really abridged, as only a few parts were cut.The cast gathered for the celebration is quite uneven. Some performances are deeply moving while others are mediocre. Alfie Boe as Valjean does a great job underlining the solemnity of the character and his version of "Bring Him Home" is the best performance of the whole show. Lea Salonga as Fantine is as moving as can be expected from the musical legend that she is. Ramin Karimloo as Enjolras is super charismatic and absolutely believable as a leader of an uprising. Matt Lucas and Jenny Galloway as Thenardiers are hilarious. Norm Lewis as Javert may not be the best ever, but his performance is really solid nonetheless and he does a great job conveying the character's firm belief in the law. My biggest problem is the youngest cast members: Katie Hall, Samantha Barks, and Nick Jonas, whose performances lack the necessary spark. They are alright, but it isn't the quality one would expect to see on such a great occasion. Sadly, in Nick Jonas' case it is visible that he isn't really an actor and that he was probably cast because of his name rather than his skills.All in all, the show is a great spectacle that is a pleasure to watch. Some of the cast members may not be the best in the world, but their faults are less visible thanks to the rest of the actors doing a truly magnificent job. It also has to be mentioned that at the end there is a short surprise performance, which adds to the feeling of celebration of this great musical. This is a must-see for any Les Mis fan.

It is always risky to try something different. I have been a fan of this musical as long as I can remember, but taking a classic like Les Miserables and making it a comedy, well... That is the impression I got from this version of the musical, all because of one character who stands out from the others. Nick Jonas! You will chuckle when Nick Jonas dryly tries to act dramatically. Giggle heartily when you see Nick Jonas try to hit some of the higher notes. You will have tears running down your face from the howling laughter when you see Nick Jonas try to shake vibrato from his body. Some of the higher comedy moments are whey he falls flat, or rings sharp. But the truly magical comicality moments are when Nick Jonas runs out of air and tries to force just a little more out of his depleted lungs to lengthen out the note to it's intended duration. Oddly enough I didn't find any of the other cast humorous at all. Perhaps they didn't get the memo. OK, enough of being whimsical. I think that if not for Nick Jonas, this would have been one of the best renditions of Les Miserables I have seen. I cringed every time he opened his mouth. On the way opposite end, Alfie Boe blows everyone away with his incredible voice. I could almost feel his irritation with having to sing with such an amateur as Nick Jonas. Thankfully several times I could hear Alfie drown out Nick's voice with his powerful vocals. Giving such an important part to someone who can't sing is deplorable. Perhaps they were trying to bring in a younger crowd, but I don't think that it was necessary. This musical already carries it's weight. This is worth seeing just to see Alfie Boe and the rest of the cast sing. I can't imagine anyone remaining dry eyed after past cast members who have played Jean Valjean including Colm Wilkinson with Alfie Boe sing Bring Him Home. It is truly a highlight!

I have avoided Les Mis over the years, under the impression that it held nothing which would appeal to me. I noticed that this 25th anniversary concert presentation was being broadcast live from the O2 to our local cinema and, knowing that my wife was a big fan, I booked tickets. I got into trouble for various reasons: a) why are you wasting money on that, b) you know I like the show, not a concert performance, c) I get a headache at the cinema.... boy, these women can give you a hard time, can't they? I was blown away. With the exception of Nick Jonas' thin, weedy, nasal Marius, I thought all the performers were first rate. But I have to single out Samantha Barks' heart-breaking Eponine, Matt Lucas' assured, hilarious, and wholly unexpected Thenardier, and Alfie Boe's astonishing Valjean. The ovation at the end of Bring Him Home has been cut down for the DVD: it went on so long during the live performance that he finally had to break character to smile and acknowledge it. I am pleased to say that I have now seen him on stage as Valjean, and it is every bit as hair-raising live in the show.This is a remarkable record of a remarkable event.

When I first heard of LesMiserables it was in high school. My chorus class performed the songs at a concert. I absolutely fell in love with the songs. Never saw the play, I always wanted to. This concert was the first time I saw the 1985 cast and the performances. I was blown away. The cast was amazing. I actually disagree with some of the comments, however it is their opinions. In my opinion Nick Jonas was fantastic. I was so used to seeing him sing with his brothers and used to hearing him sing pop songs. When I heard him sing, I was really impressed. He put me to tears when he sang Empty Chairs Empty table and when he sang " A Little Fall of Rain with Samantha Barks. The cast was brilliant and if they were to ever do a movie musical of Les Miserables, I would not change anyone from the cast. I would keep the cast as they had in the concert. I thought they were all phenomenal. Alfie Boe put tears in my eyes as well, he was amazing.