The main problem with this movie is that there weren't any great songs. All the songs were just so-so, nothing stood out. If your movie is about someone making it in the music business, then there needs to be a great song. Besides that nothing was great about any of the characters nor the acting. Jordan Sparks isn't much of an actress. Everything was so cliché in this. Youngest sister has the most talent but is to scared to be the lead. Oldest sister is the lead but hooks up with the wrong guy and begins using drugs and being abused. Then there is the mom who tried to be a star herself, but succumbed to the evils of show business. Just so done before.FINAL VERDICT: Skip it.

Sparkle (2012)** 1/2 (out of 4)Remake of the 1976 film about sisters Sparkle (Jordin Sparks), Sister (Carmen Ejogo) and Dolores (Tika Sumpter) who decide to try and make it in the music business even though their mother (Whitney Houston) objects to them doing so after her life was ruined by an attempt. The original movie was quite predictable but it was still very much worth watching because of the performances and the music. I'm really not sure why we needed a remake and especially since this one here takes place in the 1960s just like the previous ones. Either way, for the most part this is a mildly entertaining film but there's still no question that it falls short of the original. There are actually quite a few things that do work here including the performances but especially Ejogo as the troubled sister whose decisions are going to cost her and her sisters. I thought she was incredibly believable throughout the picture no matter what the story was calling for. It could be for sexiness in the music or the downfall of the drug addiction. This here was actually the first time I had seen Sparks in anything and I thought she was fine in the role, although, like the original, her character is pretty much in the background. As for Houston, she's not too bad in the film but I must admit that I think her death somewhat hurt the movie, which is strange to say because I doubt anyone would have gone to this had it not been her final film. Hearing her character talk about drug abuse, bad choices and other things just makes you think of Houston and her death. This really has a negative impact on the film that it might not have had if the actress didn't die during the post-production. Derek Luke, Mike Epps and Curtis Armstrong are all extremely good in their parts. Another negative thing is that the majority of the music is pretty forgettable with none of the songs really jumping out at you. This includes Houston's one number, which is just pretty weak. Still, SPARKLE manages to have enough in it to make it worth sitting through even if the end result isn't nearly as good as most would have hoped for.

SparkleBeing in a 1960s girl group meant having to cut hit records in your kitchen, while mopping the floor and cooking dinner for your husband.Fortunately, none of the vocalists in this musical are housewives.When 19-year-old Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) agrees to form a girl group with her two older sisters, Sister (Carmen Ejogo) and Dee (Tika Sumpter), in order to win a talent contest, she is is not prepared for the upshot.Rising through the nightclub ranks, the girls taste success.But when Sparkle begins to branch out as a soloist and Sister is in an abusive relationship, the girls experience exactly what their mother (Whitney Houston) warned them of.With enjoyable songs, admirable performances and all the delectable melodrama that comes from a meteoric rise in music industry, this remake out shines the 1976 original. Fortunately for girl groups today, it's the record labels that are being bitch-slapped. (Yellow Light)vidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

Instead of 1950s Harlem, the eldest "Sister" and her sisters (Delores and Sparkle) were making things happen in 1960s Detroit. In the city of Motown, we see each sister's rising and failed ambitions.I didn't see the remake on the day of its release. I saw the original (1976), so skepticism was high. There are flaws, but there are hidden treasures that make it a nice rendition: Location, location, location - What better place to pursue music in the 1960s other than Detroit? Motown established acts that are still in movies and commercials. Not only is the music memorable, but so is the socio-political events. Mention of the riots raised eyebrows at the dinner table when Satin (Mike Epps) shows up. His position on the topic makes him a "coon" who later becomes ashamed of himself.In stories of aspiring talent, it's usually a dream to escape the life they were born into. In the 1960s, industrialized Detroit made it possible for families to slice a piece of the American dream: beautiful home, new car, and trendy clothes. The sisters wanted to achieve more, even though they weren't doing bad, which is a nice alteration from the original.Character development - Supporting characters shared their stories. Delores (Tika Sumpter) held her own! Her role in the family stayed true to the original, but we learn more about her personal motivation and goals. Before this, we didn't know where she was going. Emma, or Mama, (Whitney Houston) was portrayed in a different light too. In the original, Mama was a maid. In the remake, Emma was running things.Kudos to the Akils (Girlfriends, The Game, Being Mary Jane) for broadening the antagonist spectrum. Usually, the "bad boy" is a drug dealer, but not here. In the remake, he's actually a working man with issues. Last but not least, Sister (Carmen Ejogo). She shared more of her past from a young adult perspective. In the 1976 version, we were introduced to a teenager who knew how to sing and started using drugs.Domestic violence - These moments usually show a man attacking a woman. Well, Sister isn't Satin's punching bag! It's still considered domestic violence, even when a woman fights back. Bottom line, love shouldn't hurt.Conflict Resolution - The film did a great job handling redemption. Originally, Sister fell in a downward spiral and that was it. Now we see characters work through their problems. Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) sets her past delusions of life straight in order to move forward. This time, we have a better idea of how far she can go. Despite a troubling past, Mama and Sister were able to work things out. Delores confronted stereotypes, then moved on to achieve opposite of the 'norm'. Love that Levi (Omari Hardwick) redeemed himself in the eyes of Sister and Satin. Overall, the film was okay. I wish there was more to the Sparkle-Stix (Derek Luke) relationship. Costumes were overly modernized. Oh well, consider it a fashionable takeaway. R. Kelly was criticized for his musical direction, but, songs from the 1976 Sparkle will be remembered most. Sister and Sparkle's singing weren't as moving as the original singers (or even EnVogue's cover of Giving Him Something He Can Feel).Remakes are difficult to make. You have to maintain the reputation of the first, and carve out a piece of originality for a new generation. The remake maintained the storyline and gave its own shine.