4/4  Give In To Love, Or Live In Fear
"Rent" was truly better live [I've seen it twice, yeah, no big deal], but this film version manages to capture the omnipresence of love that is felt when seen live. Jonathan Larson wrote this play as an homage to "La Boheme" and died the ... (read full)

2/4  Rent
This was quite good for a musical. So, I can't really get to excited over movies when out of nowhere people just break into sing and dance randomly, but this was quite enjoyable. I think that when that drag queen died, they could have made... (read full)

2.5/4  "Rent" may become a good rental
Based on the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-wining originally off-Broadway Rock Opera of the same name by the late Jonathan Larson, who died the night before the play was set to debut, the story revolves around eight friends from the East V... (read full)

3/4  Rent Quick Review
Having seen the stage version, the film can't quite capture the same magic. I do applaud Chris Columbus on his decision to cast the original actors in their roles - they work together well. The music is still great and the story is too.

4/5 two versions; one compelling story
  by Bart R. Frith (Small Town, Michigan)
I saw this first on IFC and had to have a copy.

Don't miss the bonus stuff! Knowing the back story makes the whole project more meaningful.

I also recommend seeing the stage version; some things just work better on stage.

Beware! You may find these tunes running through your head for weeks aferwards.

-- Bart

5/5 RENT THE MUSICAL PSP
  by ramon perez
ITEM JUST AS DESCRIBED ! FAST AND FRIENDLY ! A REAL PLEASURE DOIN BUSINESS WITH ... THANK YOU !

5/5 Rent the Movie
  by Craig Rinehart (Burley, Idaho)
As decribed brand new in the wrapper. It only took 2 days to receive it. Thanks

2/5 Skips
  by Andrea Ratcliff (Arizona)
The movie it self is amazing!!!! But I was dissapointed that the disc skips about 30 mins of the movie. From the take me for what I am song all the way to Angel's furneal. Get this movie from another company!!!

1/5 The Abridged Broadway
  by Meghan Brunner (Minnesota)
I saw Rent twice on stage and have the soundtrack memorized. I was excited to see it had come out on DVD as well... until I watched it.

Seeing it on stage was transcendent. This movie cut a bunch of the songs (time constraints?), cut many of the layers out of some songs that were kept (too hard to film on their budget?), and turned many lines that were sung in the original into spoken dialogue (wanted to make it a musical instead of a rock opera?), which felt awkward and flat.

They also changed parts of the story. For example, in the stage version, April left a note to Roger saying the two of them had AIDS and slit her wrist in the bathroom; in the film, he's standing beside her as she gets her test results and we're to assume she died of AIDS-related complications, which takes a lot of the punch out of Roger's character. In the stage version, all of Act One happens on Christmas Eve; in the film, it's split up into two (or more?) days for no apparent reason, which makes the lyrics of some later songs inaccurate. The conflict between Roger and Mark is entirely left out of the film.

I think the film version still delivers an important message, but it lacks a lot of the artistry and power of the original. I see that a filmed-on-stage version is now available, which wasn't the case when I bought this movie. I'd highly suggest getting that instead.