Juliet and Romeo

Shakespeare’s venerable play was a tragedy, and so is the revisionist musical remake Juliet and Romeo, although in a much different way.

Filtering the Bard through Jane Austen with a relentlessly bubbly 21st century romantic-comedy mood, it’s a visually striking period piece — apparently stemming from the real-life romance that inspired the play — with an appealing cast and lively production numbers.

However, while this eye-rolling project is a conceptually ambitious retelling on the surface, most of the changes to the source material seem cosmetic rather than narratively essential.

This reimagined story is set in Verona, Italy, but in the early 14th century, against the backdrop of an ongoing feud between two influential families, with Lord Montague (Jason Isaacs) on one side and Lord Capulet (Rupert Everett) and his wife (Rebel Wilson) on the other.

None of them would approve of the clandestine courtship between rebellious Montague teenager Romeo (Jamie Ward) and Capulet daughter Juliet (Clara Rugaard), who dreams of a brighter future.

Word of their budding relationship spreads among the locals, captivating gossips such as Friar Lawrence (Derek Jacobi) and the town apothecary (Dan Fogler). Their commitment is tested, of course when Juliet learns that her parents have arranged her to be married to nobleman Paris (Dennis Andres).

The screenplay by director Timothy Bogart (Spinning Gold) glosses over many of the conflicts from the source material in favor of singing and dancing to pop ballads, and sequences of the titular star-crossed lovebirds sneaking away for mischievous late-night snuggles behind the backs of their disapproving and overbearing relatives.

Even if it’s not a direct adaptation of Shakespeare, it hardly subverts expectations for a coming-of-age love story with periphery characters functioning mostly as sidekicks and comic relief.

The film distinguishes itself with a progressive approach, highlighted by the feminist anthem “The Mask I Wear,” which surpasses many of the other forgettable songs. It hints at an empowerment fantasy — which would explain the name reversal in the title — in which Juliet is trying to find her voice and break free from oppressive patriarchal customs.

At any rate, the medieval setting and the anachronistic dialogue feel like they’re about 800 years apart in Juliet and Romeo, which emphasizes spectacle over substance.

Rated PG-13, 121 minutes.