Fame! ☆

Okay so the film doesn't have an exclamation mark in its title but you know, its massively cheesey and I felt it needed one to further its 'we're so friggin happy' stance.

This review is more because I am in need of a creative outlet than actually because the film merits a review, it was released in 2009 and generally bombed with the critics, for good reason.

I'm not actually a fan of the original film, I saw it so long ago I can only really remember the battles with the young keyboardist and his father until at the end the father realises his son is talented and there is a mass blockade of a New York City street of people dancing. There wasn't really much hope of me enjoying this was there?

So its a reboot, it fits with todays media and fame obsessed culture, and also dance obsessed (evident in Strictly's ratings each year).
So the story, if you can call it one, follows a huge group of students from auditions to graduation charting their ups and downs in their quest for 'fame'.

Ok so lets be fair, the dance scenes and the music are pretty fantastic. If I could move like some of the girls on screen I'd be ridiculously happy, and these spots of music and dance happen frequently enough not to be too annoyed about the entire film.
Also the cast are young and pretty with a fair level of acting ability shared out amongst them, the teachers are as you'd expect and include one of my favourite actors Charles S.Dutton who always delights me whenever I put Cookies Fortune in the DVD player.

So much for the positives.
The cast is huge. Too big for you to even begin to care about the individuals because their stories are brushed on so lightly. There are interesting moments between teacher and student but essentially they appear to serve the purpose of showing the kids "this is what happens when you give up on your dreams".
The little love story is weak, the kids are cute an all but when you watch Step Up you feel like there is a proper romance going on (which turned into marriage for stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan). And it is because they have no time to tell the story.

Whoever decided to squeeze four years into 107 minutes and thought the audience would have time to care is frankly an idiot. Director Kevin Tancharoen's CV weaves between dance related movies or documentaties to Mortal Kombat adaptations, he should not have been at the helm of this movie. Alan Parker, director of the original Fame, has an equally interesting mix of genres in his back log, from Bugsy Malone (genius film - I dare you to disagree) to Angela's Ashes he has covered everything possible. Which is perhaps why the original fame gets 2 more stars than its reboot on IMBD because there was a slightly gritty edge.

The New York in the reboot is glossed over, the hard times faced by students hardly touched on except for a few angry outbursts by an actor/rapper whose mother works three jobs and his little sister was killed because of...I'm gonna assume gang related violence because I don't think it ever got explained.

Another thing the film entirely lacks is a star, Irene Cara can live on the royalties of that song (and Flashdance), Naturi Naughton (the Irene Cara of the reboot) has not achieved the same level of success. The songs are forgettable, and unfortunately so is she.

The story is predictable, there is young love, heartbreak, angst, talent, misunderstanding, someone gets ripped off by a bogus film producer, and ultimately a big cheesey ending complete with show choir and ballet performances.

This was a fairly terrible film, and I knew that before watching it so was not suprised. It is a perfectly watchable film if you are in the mood for something akin to Step Up but not as good, or if you enjoyed Brittania High when it was on our screens for a fleeting moment.
The cast are pretty, the music good, and the dancing better. It just doesn't quite live up to its name. FAME!