"Rent" DVD Review

This movie won me over with the opening number. "Rent" may not have been the box office smash some predicted it would be, but fans of the Broadway musical seemed to have reacted positively to the big screen version of Jonathan Larson's vision.

Packed with first-rate production numbers, the "Rent" DVD is a must-have for fans of movie musicals.

The synopsis is simple yet the movie's anything but. Jonathan Larson's "Rent" is the story of a group of friends - some HIV positive, some not - who are all struggling to just get by in New York's East Village.

Eight stories interwine as the audience gets to know a little bit about each of the main characters' backstories. Featuring an absolutely pitch-perfect cast (including a surprisingly deep musical performance by Rosario Dawson), this film version of Larson's hit Broadway musical is the story of friendship, loyalty, and love told mostly by way of musical numbers.

The Bonus Features

Commentary is provided by director Chris Columbus and actors Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal. It's an entertaining track yet I found myself wishing they'd included one of the women from the film to kind of break things up a bit.

The 2-disc special edition "Rent" DVD also includes a lengthy documentary on the life of Jonathan Larson. The 5-part series has a little bit of everything on the creation of "Rent" up to the making of the film. Anything you ever wanted to know about the man behind "Rent" can be found in this informative and entertaining documentary.