Best movie ever!

Absolutely brilliant

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Musicals made into movies are usually boring but this movie is very interesting and artistic flare. When this movie came out in the early 80's there was a buzz generated and I begin to see the language introduce back into mainstream. I watched the movie recently and every detail of the movie was made with quality and attention. The historical roots, the culture, the dual persona of the Chicano experience. Edward James Olmos gave a great performance and really captures the essence of the character. He could have portrayed any American subculture with his acting skills I believe, and the fact he is still a viable actor. He seems to be really memorable in his parts as a Mexican-American patriarch-Mr. Escalente in Stand and Deliver, Selena's dad in Selena, Mr. Vega in George Lopez, Montoya in American Me, etc. I highly recommend this movie and Mr. Olmos performance especially.

Zoot Suit seriously is the WORST MOVIE EVER!!!! Don't dare attempt to watch it. Seriously! It was dreadful. The only positive element was how the movie portrayed the treatment of young Mexican/Latino/Chicano Americans in LA back when World War II was going on. Prejudice is defiantly made known in this movie. Beyond that, everything was terribly done. All the characters were extremely flat, and even if they did have some elements of being round, they were far from being well developed. They had a lot going for them, but I believe the director did not go far enough… or went in a completely wrong direction. I, at first, thought it was going to be a satire. It was nothing like I was expecting. I was expecting comedy, and instead I found myself watching a movie/play, which I have nothing against. In fact, I love the those kinds of films (i.e. Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Singing in the Rain, Guys and Dolls, etc.) I am all for movies that are mockeries… but this one was not one of those films. It was a bad movie. The storyline was good. The set was great. I believe the actors and the director though needed assistance. It could have been so much more. However, comparing it to Mexican soap operas… I suppose it was better… but really it could have been so much more. I was very disappointed. I am interested in seeing the Broadway version however. I really would like to see the play at it's absolute best. It has potential. It just has not been used yet.

Great movie. Racial tensions were vivid in both the Mexicans and Americans. To say that Americans were racist to a group of people just because of what they wore is incorrect. Anyone knows that where there are parties and alcohol, there tends to problems. The sleepy lagoon group needed to respect what peace is about and keep their knives at home in their kitchens. Notice: nobody had a dislike for these boys until after they associated themselves with gang members. Gang members wore zoot suits. So why would a person wear a zoot suit and not expect to be thought of as a gang member? The movie shows how naivety is a disadvantage that any person can falter from.

Having seen the original stage production at the Mark Taper Forum & Aquarius Theatres, in Los Angeles. I was quite blown away by both the production and performances. This was one of my all time favorite stage productions.An attempt to mount the play in New York was a disappointing failure. I guess the "snobs" of the New York Theatre world, at that time weren't appreciative of something they just didn't get.When I hear about the film being in production, I awaited it's release with anticipation. It's impossible to replace the presence of live performance with film. This filmed version was a truly impressive attempt to relay the success of the "live" production. I have long had my own copy of this film on Laser Disc and wish it was on DVD.If you haven't seen the film and are ready for something different with some cultural insight, rent it on VHS, the only format currently available.