I was bored on a Sunday afternoon and my mom was watching West Side Story on TV. I sat down and was intrigued. There was a gang fight about to start, and I was eyeing the cast, wondering which one would be the first to take a switchblade to the gut. Imagine my surprise when they all bent over, started snapping their fingers, and broke into song. I walked back to my room in disgust.

That summer, the movie theatre in Mira Mesa would show double-features during the day for $1. It would be a new movie, with a movie that came out a few years earlier (this is before you could rent movies or download them). The second movie was Grease, and I saw it about 10 times that summer. I loved every second of it. Sure, the T-birds never took a knife from one of the Scorpions, but...they still felt dangerous. I mean, one of those guys was covered in pimples and was taking Stockard Channing to the backseat of his ragtop, after a few of the T-birds had already slept with her. You add the drag racing and that bit of danger, with the songs and cast being terrific...and I was on board with musicals.

As an adult, I’m usually disappointed in movie musicals. Cats was one of the worst things ever made. Les Miserables (aside from a few scenes) was disappointing. La La Land was okay, but overrated.

The last musical I really loved was Chicago. It was sexy and fun, and after seeing it, I immediately bought the soundtrack.

I wasn’t enthusiastic about seeing In The Heights, the first musical Lin-Manuel Miranda gave us. This was his follow-up to Hamilton. I never saw that musical, but of the many clips I’ve seen, it’s surely the most overrated thing Broadway has ever been a part of.

When In The Heights was winning all the Tony Awards in 2008 (it was nominated for 13), I was just bummed that a singer/songwriter I love -- Stew -- had his wonderful musical PassingStrange passed over (it did win for “best book”).

At least Stew had a fan in Spike Lee. When I was in New York to see the production, Spike Lee was there also. He’d eventually film Passing Strange and release it.

Director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) takes In The Heights to great heights on the big screen. And it’s the musical that I wish all musicals were. The wonderful set pieces, the colors, the songs, the characters...it was such a joyous experience. It was summer when I saw Grease 10 times, and I’m guessing this will be the summer kids (and everyone) goes and sees this multiple times. I know I am. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Those are the types of things you say at the end of the review.

The story centers on a bodega run by Usnavi, a name taken from a U.S. Navy ship. He’s played by Anthony Ramos (Hamilton). His much younger cousin Sonny (Gregory Diaz IV, who steals every scene he’s in) helps him run the joint, and also helps him with the ladies. Well, one lady -- Vanessa (Melissa Barrera).

Usnavi narrates the story, telling a bunch of kids at the beach the story of the Dominican community living in the Washington Heights area of New York. Nothing is more precious than the enthralled look on Iris’ face (Olivia Perez). Navi talks of how, while working hard running his bodega (sometimes with power outages during sweltering summers), he dreamed of buying his land back in the DR.

He’s trying to convince Sonny to uproot, and when we see the alcoholic dad he lives with (played in his one scene by Marc Anthony), we think he should jump at the chance to run a kiosk selling ice cream to tourists.

Vanessa and Navi look like they’re headed into a relationship, but she wants to get a place downtown, and make it in Manhattan’s fashion industry. Will they try a long-distance relationship? Or is she going to walk up the beach carrying snow cones for the kiddies? I won’t give away just what happens, but when the camera pans back and shows us more details of the beach they’re at, tears started to run down my face.

Claudia (Olga Merediz) is the grandmother to the neighborhood. She can be a good listener, mentor, and provides food (for the stomach and the soul).

It was nice to see Jimmy Smits on screen again. He plays Kevin, a man running a taxi company. His best employee Benny (Corey Hawkins, who played Dr. Dre in Straight Outta Compton) wants to be a successful businessman someday. He’s also pining for his boss's daughter Nina (Leslie Grace). They were an item at one time, but she went to Stanford the previous year. She’s dropped out, and it’s hard to buy one of the reasons why. As a Latina, she doesn’t feel she fits in. Oh please. She’s smart and attractive, and it’s a college campus -- the most liberal of all places; and an institution that probably prides itself in a diverse mix of students. But I digress.

It was refreshing that they didn’t get super political about things. There are some things touched upon -- undocumented residents, and gentrification. Even the story Nina tells about being accused of stealing at Stanford, was just perfect and not preachy.

One more member of the cast I was thrilled to see -- Daphne Rubin-Vega. I interviewed her after loving the film Jack Goes Boating 11 years ago (the only film Philip Seymour Hoffman directed). She did Jack Goes Boating Off-Broadway, as well as the film. She was on Broadway as Mimi in Rent. And I just love that there was such a great part for this beautiful singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress. She’s 51, and often Hollywood doesn’t have such juicy roles for females over 40. For my money, she’s as beautiful as any of the women in this film. Anyway, she plays Daniela, who runs a beauty salon where it’s not just nails and lashes put on -- but so are song-and-dance numbers (often laced with gossipy lyrics). Every time a tune was performed, it was a joyous occasion. There are scenes in a pool that felt like Busby Berkeley productions, as we watched great choreographed scenes with colorful pool noodles and splashes, with everyone singing about a winning lottery ticket purchased in town.

There were dances near fire hydrants spewing water, at various streets, and one with Lin-Manuel selling his shaved ice and dancing atop a competing ice cream truck. There’s one number on the side of a building that puts Lionel Richie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling” to shame.

And while I didn’t get into all the rap that Hamilton went with, this had some hip-hop, but also jazz, and Latin/salsa/merengue flavors. When one couple goes on their first date to a dance club, whether you’re a fan of dance or not, you’ll love it.

Cinematographer Alice Books got some amazing shots, and you’ll be seeing her name (and others from this film) around Oscar time.

The plot was a bit weak, and it was rather predictable. But there hasn’t been a more beautiful love letter to a city in years. There hasn’t been a better musical in 10 years.

This movie was almost two and a half hours long. I wish it was another two hours. I wanted to spend more time with them.

This is the first film I’ve given 5 stars to in years, and with theatres opening back up, this is the type of movie you’ve got to see on the big screen.

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