Time To Get Real

Did "Sparkle" sparkle?

Sparkle, the 2012 theatrical version starring Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks is a remake of the 1976 moive. Several liberties have been taken with the orginal script, to the point where the remake has little resemblence to the first. Without giving away any spoilers, here's my review.

I didn't have to suspend my disbelief at all setting-wise. All the buildings were authentic, from the old school microphones used onstage to the record listening rooms at record stores. I really liked the look of the Columbia Records headquarters. 5/5 here.

The character costumes were simply gorgeous! Carmen Ejogo playing the part of "Sister" Tammy, got the best wardrobe, especially the navy and see-through number she was wearing during the "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" performance. That dress was simply to die for! Jordin Sparks's transition from wobbly church girl to self-confident rising star is definitely shown through her outfits. First, drab and proper, then bright go-go festive, and finally low-cut screen siren floor length dresses. Tika Sumpter's character, "Dee" didn't have as many eye-catching costumes, but the different hairstyles she sported during the movie were equally interesting. Starting off with a traditional bob before getting an asymetrical 'do, and finally settling on an afro was an interesting way of revealing more about her character. 5/5 here as well.

The script, even after the heavy editing from the original version still seemed too similar to other movies like Dreamgirls to give this area 5/5 for freshness. However, what the other movies failed to do is give insight into what truely motivates the downward spiral of rising and popular celebrities. This movie actually has bits and pieces of family history giving insight into what motivates Sister and Mother Anderson. Otherwise, they would have come across more as punchlines rather than people. However, I wish this would have been done across the board, especially with the character Satin Struthers. Another thing I'm happy about is that everything wasn't completely melodramatic. There seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel for everyone involved(with one exception). I give the script a 4/5 rating.

The acting ability of the cast was believable, if not Oscar-worthy. Whitney Houston did a fine job of being a strict mother, without crossing over into a campy dictatorship. Carmen Ejogo definitely stole the show as Sister. Her desperation wasn't obvious, but it was there in her actions. Jordin Sparks as the title character Sparkle, didn't carry her weight. I'm very familiar with her from her stint on American Idol, and several other musical projects she's been apart of, and it seemed like she just played herself. I didn't feel she was acting, or getting into her character. This would have been acceptable if she was a supporting character, but totally unacceptable since she was the film's star. Tika Sumpter was a breath of fresh air. I really wish she would have gotten more screentime considering she was the backbone of the group, and she played a believable backbone. As for the men, they came off as two-demensional. Stix and Levi were the good guys, Satin Struthers was the bad guy. That's all I remember from their performances. This part gets a 3/5.

Altogether, this movie was pretty to look at, had a decent script, and hope for the future for mostof the characters. I give this an 80, a B. Not a bad way to go out, Ms. Houston!