Genres

Visitors Review

John Wirt 2012-05-25 07:13:11

The script doesn't earn the C average students must maintain for continued enrollment in their performing arts school.

Kevin Maher 2012-05-25 00:26:10

Culturally derivative, structurally bland and almost meaningless.

Mark Palermo 2012-05-22 16:11:28

The fragmented narrative of high school kids pursuing their dreams (job security) has just barely more feel and understanding of what it's like to be young than 17 Again .

ValleyOfScarletFever 2012-05-21 23:00:46

A Wanna-be "Chorus Line"

When I entered the movie theater and realized that "Alvin and theChipmunks: The Squeakuel" and "Old Dogs" were being advertised beforethis movie began I knew I was in for a real treat.But, I haven't seen the original, so I knew I wouldn't be "tainted" bythat; I'm just judging on the movie by itself here. And lemme tell youfolks, it's pretty impressive.We begin with promising characters that go no where and stay onedimensional and barely learn anything about them, yet we're supposed tobe moved when one of their dreams doesn't become a full reality. Wait-what? The dancing, although slightly impressive, is nothing out of theordinary. The "best dancer" in the school is alright, but nothing thatwould be gasp-worthy. And yes, yes, I know she was on "So You Think YouCan Dance," but did she win? No. And apparently she can't act either.None of the actors look like believable high schoolers and the schoolhas an unlimited amount of funding (and I'm in a high school forpreforming arts, so I would know.) Half of my fellow students in mydrama class could out act this newcomers. Although, to their credit,they didn't have much do go on; the script is as thin as it gets.And, to make matters worse, the singing isn't very impressive either.They all had the same sort of robotic- Hannah Montana/HSM type of nasaltone that we've all heard before on Radio Disney; it's old. We came forgreat performances, not an even WORSE High School Musical copypretending to be- well, "Fame". Why should I care about thesecharacters? So far none of them seem very special to me (although theblack girl, I forgot her name, now THERE'S a singer. The rest? Mediocreat best.) Where's all the edge of highschool? No drugs? No sex? Why arethese kids so clean? One drinking scene, and one "almost rape" scene,which really didn't seem that scandalous at all. Wow, one "gangsta"kid, real impressive and original guys. Wasn't expecting that. And theblack girl who can sing hip-hop, and the closeted depressed gay guy,and the over-the-top dramatic film kid, these aren't predictable, nosirree. Why aren't these kids in a real crisis, and why the hell is thedrama teacher a counselor? This movie is choppily edited, and for somereason it goes super fast (and not in a good way.) None of the yearsare distinguishable from another.The absolute worst part? They cut "I Sing the Body Electric" for somecrappy "believe in yourself" song. At that point I left the theater,because A) I had to pee and B) I was tired of being sold short. Ididn't care anything about the characters well being, and when the gaydancing boy tried to off himself, I sincerely hoped he would succeed.And then all the kids, one by one, would jump in front of the subway toend the movie in a more interesting manner then how it began. And thenthe filmmaker kid would say, "And cut" and jump dramatically into thesubway and die a slow death, and the "Fame" theme song (not theterrible remake, the original by Irene Cara) would play behind hisdemise. Now THAT'S an ending.In full? It felt like an afterschool special. A really bad one. Fromthe 80's. The movie was going for a reaction, but with too manyone-sided characters and no real emotions, I had no reaction. It wasstupid bubblegum fluff advertising itself as a great dance movie, thenext "Fame." Well, it wasn't "Fame" at all. It was "Shame."

Willie Waffle 2012-05-21 01:04:16

Somewhere, Irene Cara weeps.

Brian Orndorf 2012-05-20 15:09:13

What was once a neurotic, awkward climb to the summit of personal achievement has been molested into High School Musical 4. Coco would not approve.

Jolene Mendez 2012-05-19 06:04:04

Can't remember any of their names, except for one. Kudos to Kherington Payne who has come a long way since 'So You Think You Can Dance'. Only standout performance in my book.

Stephen Silver 2012-05-18 20:26:48

a totally unoriginal and unnecessary remake that runs far, far away from anything edgy, controversial or interesting.

2012-05-17 22:24:34

Never saw the original, This one No Meat Whatsoever!

A lot of people on this review compare to the original or make references to the original, I however will not, for I have not seen the original. I went into this movie straight from watching the trailer to sitting in the theater. Now with that out of the way...I am tossed between a 2 star and 3 star rating. I can't say I didn't like at it at all, but I can't exactly say it was just ok. I thought for a 2 hour movie, it showed very little. The dancing and singing were minimal, the character development was non-existent, and I got more out of the trailer than anything.This is a 2 hour movie that depicts (well tries to depict) 4 years in an arts school with about 7 kids. Imagine Harry Potter years 1-4 in a 2 hour movie with twice as many main characters. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING! This movie should have been a TV series (as others have suggested) with possible time for story and character development. If TV was out, then it should have been a single year, giving us enough time to enjoy the characters and really understand their hardships. Or it could simply be just 1 or 2 kids' story and have the others shadow them. I think the writers just gave up. They needed a skeleton script to move the movie forward the 4 years, and that's what the director used, a relentlessly drawn out skeleton script, no meat whatsoever.None of these characters I actually cared about, except the bad dancer kid, which was probably the most developed story. The female dancer literally went from not having a boyfriend to having a boyfriend back to not again in 5 scenes, and I wish I could say that the movie gave me surprises, but it was clear that that was going to happen. The actress's problem was solved in the first Sister Act Movie in about 2 seconds (thanks to Whoopi Goldberg), and the singer's problem was taken straight out of Sister Act 2 (Lauren Hill's Character Story), but again was straightened out within a couple weeks (Sister Act 2's movie time) and not 3-4 years (Fame's time). The film students lacked interest (which is a disappointment because that is my area), they should have been removed from the movie all together. The musicians could remain just as they were, 2nd fiddles to the dancer and singer story lines. The male actor probably had the second most developed story, which in Fame terms says a lot.Why 2 stars and not 1. Based on that last Paragraph you may be wondering. The teachers were better characters than the students, so thumbs up from them. I would still like to see a Dangerous Minds type movie made from Megan Mullaly's and Charles S. Dutton's characters. The dance scene I am skewed with because I love Sam Sparro's "Black and Gold" song, which is what they danced to. The rendition of the Fame song was great; I listened to that many times before seeing the movie, which consequently made me stop listening to the song. That's about it.Review in a nutshell: Too Many Characters, Not Enough Time but Too Much TIMESPAN, Relentlessly Drawn Out Skeleton Script, Great Teachers, Fame Song Catchy. 2.5 stars

Bob Bloom 2012-05-17 09:35:23

What "Fame" lacks in originality, it makes up for in heart. And that tips the ledger in my book.

Dan Lybarger 2012-05-17 03:53:58

The new remake of the 1980 hit 'Fame' is not going to live forever and has clearly not learned how to fly.

Steve Persall 2012-05-16 15:43:38

The new, unimproved Fame won't live forever except in DVD cutout bins, and remembering anyone's name will be a chore.

Frank Swietek 2012-05-16 04:46:32

Riddled with cliches from beginning to end...[a] misguided exhumation of what was once a pretty lively piece.

KineticSeoul 2012-05-15 12:31:33

There is only one positive thing going for this film

Now this movie was pretty terrible, now I can see why some girls wouldactually like this movie somewhat though. Mainly because of thecharacters performances when they take the stage, which is the onlypositive thing going for this movie. Everything else just sucks, plainand simple. The plot is one of the worst I seen in theaters, mainlyrevolves around bunch of students trying to reach fame. And thestudents that doesn't deserve it doesn't make it and the ones that doesmakes it. The thing is when it comes to most of the characters, I didnot care what so ever if they succeed or not, especially the one thatwants to become a director, the kid is just a dreamer nothing more andwas hoping he doesn't make it so he won't end up making a crappy movielike this one. I especially hated the constantly singing dude, he justseemed like a douchenozzle and a fake the girl he was with is annoyingas hell and freaking stupid. So yeah the plot of this movie was justirritating to watch, only positive thing about this mess was theperformance when the characters take the stage that is all.3.5/10

Christopher Orr 2012-05-15 02:37:49

Way back in 1980, when the Oscar-winning theme song of the movie Fame declared "I'm gonna live forever," it was easy to believe the lyric was an example of artistic license. Now, it's not so clear.

Jackie K. Cooper 2012-05-14 15:01:16

Remakes generally get compared to the originals and sometimes, as in this case, they don't measure up

Jim Chudnow 2012-05-14 03:26:37

"FAME" – REMEMBER their Names (& Don't be afraid to SUCCEED)!

(Based on an advance screening).This is a remake of the 1980 film by the same name, about attending thespecialized New York Academy of Performing Arts. It uses a large castto follow the trials & tribulations of students, their interactionswith each other, their parents, the staff & the (very) "outside" worldaround them.Jenny (KAY PANABAKER) is an initially "mousy" type of actress-singer,with little confidence or understanding in what she does and themotivations of some people around her. She's encouraged (& laterromanced) by self-assured & generous-spirited MARCO (ASHER BOOK) who'dsung for years in his father's restaurant (& has a good &pleasant-sounding voice, such as in performing "Someone To Watch OverMe" & "I Just Got To Be Happy"). Denise (NATURI NAUGHTON) is a talentedclassical pianist, altho she dislikes doing just that & being forced todo so by her pushy father.Kevin (PAUL McGILL), who has a dance-teacher mother back in Iowa, wantsto be a dancer-- tho the instructor isn't very encouraging about histalent. Malik (COLLINS PENNIE) wants to be an actor, but, his teacher(CHARLES S. DUTTON) points out he comes across as overly angry.Outgoing comedic Neil (PAUL IOCONO) loves doing video work all over theplace, & carelessly urges his dad to put up money to produce a movie.Walter (VICTOR TAVERAS) likes to produce & arrange music. Alice(KHERINGTON PAYNE) is an accomplished dancer who eagerly wants a careerin that field (rather than concentrating on romance in her life). Joy(ANNA MARIA PEREZ DE TAGLE) is a dedicated student.Various segments feature some of the older, well-known stars: MEGANMULALLY (as singing teacher Fran who's urged to perform by some of thekids at one point); KELSEY Grammar (in an understated performance asacting instructor Joel); BEBE NEUWIRTH as teacher Lynn; and, asPrincipal Simms, you have DEBBIE ALLEN (who played 'Lydia Grant' in theORIGINAL 1980 version of the film, plus the same role in 131 episodesof the TV show rendition from 1982-1987).The film has a wonderful ENERGY in many of its musical and dancenumbers (such as 'Out Here On My Own' and 'CarnEvil', and the largeclosing one with drums). Some performances are so impressive in thefilm (such as ones by Naturi), they got APPLAUSE from people in themovie theater audience. I liked the way they individually 'PRESENTED -INTRODUCED' the main actors separately during the credit section at theend (as movies "used" to do).But, by sort of hurrying through what they say is a "4-year" period atthe school, certain elements of the DRAMA are periodically "RUSHED" anda bit weak compared to the musical & dance elements. As a friendcommented, he felt the film showed little real "growth" by theperformers thru the period featured, & thus came across as somewhat"cliched". While I feel there's some accuracy in that position (in thatthe drama sections are a trifle "feeble" by comparison), I felt thatthe MUSICAL & DANCE elements & overall acting are so strong (& the main"point" of the film), they MAKE UP for that in providing a veryEFFECTIVE entertainment vehicle (& a bunch of the young actor /performers are people to "WATCH" & REMEMBER for the future!).

Roger Ebert 2012-05-13 09:23:07

The new Fame is a sad reflection of the new Hollywood, where material is sanitized and dumbed down for a hypothetical teen market that is way too sophisticated for it. It plays like a dinner theater version of the original.

DICK STEEL 2012-05-13 00:49:50

A Nutshell Review: Fame

I had watched the original Fame movie when I was a kid, enough to knowthe theme song sung by Irene Cara, but little else. Fast forward totoday, I'm pretty sure I still enjoyed the reworked theme song, but thefilm unfortunately is a disaster, with predictable story lines,cardboard characters, and while I'm quite OK that it may have tried tobe more documentary like in its presentation, it just fell short onalmost all accounts, save for some of the set musical pieces.Despite its hip trailer aimed specifically at its demographic audience,the film just didn't work out, and tried too hard to resemble plenty ofdance movies already out there, except that it did a lot more worse byinjecting too many characters having everyone bear the brunt of theburden in carrying the film through its runtime, through supportingrole appearances at best. Having cast a relative bunch of good lookingunknowns also helped in providing the fresh-facedness required, butit's akin to watching a bad episode of American Idol, except that youdon't get to choose who stays and who goes.Granted it wanted to be more "School like" encompassing all the varioussubjects taught from dance to acting, in quite an elitist fashion ingetting mere hundreds amongst thousands of applicants, and if qualitycontrol was so stringent, it provided critical flaws to theplausibility of the show. For one, these characters are talented folks,and it's just no good treating talented folks like toddlers in school,picking on every little thing they do wrong in hoping to polish thoserough diamonds. Also, the screening of candidates, while provided someAudition hilarity, was mostly based on the whims of the variousinstructors, hence the kind of petty issues they dredge up forthemselves, like the angry actor who thought the stage was his calling,throwing tantrums and in need for some serious counselling.But the most critical flaw of them all, for a movie in its genre, iswhence the buildup and character development? We're suppose to believethat after their graduation they're all "ready to make it" in the big,bad, unforgiving world of fine art performance. Unfortunately theoutput's pretty much the same as the input, save for a few characterswho turned into perfect gems overnight, with nary any focus on theirtransformation. The best just coasted through school, while the worst(amongst the best) turned in much better performances through thesprinkle of magic dust or through the rubbing of shoulders. There mustbe something in the diet served by the school's canteen as well itseems.Fame fell short and became plain, formula, predictable, and ultimatelyboring. The screenplay reeked laziness - who needs yet another teenagemovie where it tells you that even the best amongst us suffer fromtrouble dished out by disapproving parents, romantic relationshiproadblocks, yet another naive girl becoming bait for hot lookingpredatory guys, wanting to fulfill a deep desire and break out ofroutine, discrimination, trust and integrity. The list just goes on, nothanks to individual cardboard characters being assigned some thematichomework, and turning in the results in little episodes and scenes,without allowing the audience to build any emotional connection, or toeven root for the underdogs.It's ambitious too in its setting, taking on the entire school journeyof these select group of youngsters, albeit without a real story, norgelling them together in one coherent way. Technically, director KevinTancharoen (who had so far done music videos) and cinematographer ScottKevan had opted for the shaky cam technique, for what reasons I do notfathom, and came off quite irritatingly. Someone should start preachingthe virtues of mounting the camera of a tripod, versus making it a lameexcuse to want to do it documentary style, or to allow for fluid motionin capturing the performances, not!The only saving grace here, are some of the performances, be it groupdance ensembles, or solo acts. I had preferred the former a lot morefor their energy and choreography, and amongst all the disciplines, Ipersonally enjoyed the dances a lot more, compared to the others likeacting, or even singing, due to the rather lacklustre tunes andmediocre lyrics.This is one film that I'd rather not remember its name, and could becalled anything else other than a remake of Fame.

Michael A. Smith 2012-05-12 07:32:56

...shows his talents by presenting each musical number as if it were a separate music video, allowing each song to tell it's own story