A brand new love letter to musical theater is arriving on Disney+ in the form of Better Nate Than Ever, a musical family comedy written and directed by Tim Federle. The film follows unpopular 13-year-old Nate Foster (Rueby Wood), who dreams of becoming a Broadway star. After not getting cast in the lead role of his school musical, he and his best friend Libby (Aria Brooks) go on a secret trip to New York City so that Nate can audition for the Broadway production of Lilo & Stitch.
Lately, many movie musicals have graced the big screen, with 2021 giving us phenomenal musicals such as West Side Story, tick, tick…BOOM!, and In the Heights. Coming off of that hot streak is a much more family-oriented film that offers enough entertainment for children but pales compared to what we have seen from the genre lately. Unfortunately, this is a mediocre children’s movie that ultimately misses the mark despite a few good moments.
The best compliment I can give to this film is that it is a genuine love letter to Broadway musical theater. There are references to Wicked and Avenue Q, and the protagonist is the biggest theater kid in the world. The movie is made for musical lovers to relate to Nate and his desires. This story feels personal to Federle, who also wrote the novel the film is based on, and for a feature directorial debut, this has its moments. Federle has crafted what feels like a Disney channel film, in line with his work on High School Musical: The Musical – The Series.
This film offers bright colors that pop off the screen, juxtaposed with Jane Musky’s vibrant production design. Wood’s performance as Nate Foster also feels like a role he was born to play, as he throws a lot of charisma and humor onto the screen. However, nothing about the film’s concept reaches its full potential. This is a musical lacking in music, only boasting two musical numbers throughout the film. Unfortunately, both numbers offer songs that will not catch on and are pretty forgettable.
The movie also features many attempts at humor. Some of them land, and others don’t. The film’s biggest draw for older audiences may be the appearance of Lisa Kudrow of Friends fame as Aunt Heidi, Nate’s aunt who is a struggling actress in New York who wants to help Nate accomplish his goal. Her performance is uneven, as she occasionally offers a funny line but mostly stutters her way through the film. The film has some plot conveniences that only a family film can get away with, but it can also struggle with its tone.
Better Nate Than Ever is such an upbeat piece of entertainment that it feels afraid to be anything else. Unfortunately, the dramatic moments don’t pay off as well as they should, especially a subplot with Aunt Heidi and Nate’s mother, which feels contrived since the film doesn’t put in the effort to make the audience invested in their conflict. There is also a subplot surrounding the two leads’ relationship that ultimately feels forgotten. The movie is watchable, offering some fun moments of musical joy, but is too mediocre for Disney+ subscribers to choose unless the viewers are young musical theater lovers with dreams of visiting the Big Apple.
SCORE: 5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 5 equates to “Mediocre.” The positives and negatives wind up negating each other, making it a wash.
