Jordin Sparks’ ‘Sparkle’ gets mixed reviews; Phillip Phillips at free concert Aug. 31 Centennial Olympic Park
Jordin Sparks with Whitney Houston in Houston's final film.
Jordin Sparks‘ first feature film “Sparkle,” which opens today, received mixed reviews, with 53 percent of critics giving it a thumbs up on Rotten Tomatoes, which compiles such data.
The summary: “While undeniably melodramatic and old-fashioned, Sparkle transcends its formulaic trappings thanks to Salim Akil’s empathetic direction and strong performances from a committed cast.”
That doesn’t surprise me, having screened the film. It’s neither a bad film, nor a great film and certainly has its moments. And Jordin does a fine job while Whitney Houston evokes weight and sadness that may extend beyond her character. But it’s so easy to compare it to “Dreamgirls,” which is vastly superior.
General audiences liked it more. It has already received 77% positive rating, probably based on screenings.
The plotline of the film, a remake of a 1976 movie of the same name:
Musical prodigy, Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) struggles to become a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. From an affluent Detroit area and daughter to a single mother (Whitney Houston), she tries to balance a new romance with music manager, Stix (Derek Luke) while dealing with the unexpected challenges her new life will bring as she and her two sisters (Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter) strive to become a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era.
Here are some critics’ thoughts:
” “Sparkle” isn’t blindingly original but it delivers solid entertainment, and despite the clichés I was never for a moment bored.” – Roger Ebert.
” Anyone who has seen Dreamgirls, What’s Love Got To Do With It? or even The Doors will find themselves in familiar (if inferior) territory here.” – Courtney Shea, Toronto Globe and Mail
“It’s nice that “Sparkle” honors the memory of Motown’s heyday; if only it could have lived up to those standards.” – Tom Long, Detroit News
“Often seems like a flat, straightforward Supremes biopic in its adherence to seemingly pointless scenes and exposition.” – Sara Stewart, The New York Post
“”Sparkle” trafficks in the same gorgeous Motown style — sonic and visual — that made the original film, and “Dreamgirls” after it, such delectable fun.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
“Generally improves on the source material as much as possible while still succumbing to some of the same hoary showbiz beats.” William Goss, film.com
“Rather than a sing-along, consider this film a ’say-along,’ with lines so clichéd that you might find yourself reciting them in perfect sync with the flat characters.” Kimberly Gadette, Doddle
- “So You Think You Can Dance” tour comes to Atlanta but for the first time, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Dec. 1. Tickets go on sale August 24. It has in the past gone to the largest Gwinnett Arena.
- Phillip Phillips will squeeze an Atlanta date on an off-day of the “Idol” tour: the Bud Light/ 680-The Fan Labor Day concert on August 31 at Centennial Olympic Park, 6:30 to 7:20 p.m. So he’ll be playing a lot longer than he does on the “Idol” tour. It’s free! I’ll be there!
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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49 comments Add your comment
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
9:15 am
Whitney Houston’s return to the big screen was the obvious draw for this film. The fact that she died before it was released only enhances that draw(yes, I know that sounds cynical but I think it is also true). Jordin will only get a smattering of attention here in comparison and should look forward to her next film project to possibly make or break her career as an actress.
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
August 17th, 2012
10:11 am
Hi y’all,
D, I’m with you. I think that Sparkle probably had and will garner more attention since it involves Whitney Houston. I haven’t seen it so I can’t comment, but I’m sure there’s a bit of curiosity for a lot of folks. Oh, btw, the new TV show where the electricity goes away is called Revolution. And I can’t wait to see it. I just hope it doesn’t end like another FlashForward (which I enjoyed before it got cancelled.)
Harriett
August 17th, 2012
10:29 am
That’s the JJ Abrams show, D. I am looking forward to it, too. The Lost guy.
JTesla
August 17th, 2012
10:31 am
Good for Jordin, hope it opens up more acting gigs for her.
Revolution, I already can’t stand it. The dystopian future of the nature they are portraying would take too much explanation for it to enjoyable.
Sam-A
August 17th, 2012
10:34 am
Me, too, K&CF – I was really into “FlashForward” then it just disappeared. Hate when that happens. Fortunately, while I watched most of the “Alcatraz” shows, it was more for the beautiful San Fran than the actual show, so I wasn’t upset when it disappeared.
To you, Jenny (I think) & Pitchy: “Pretty Little Liars” has really cranked it up this season. Sadly, it’s got only 2 more shows – but from the previews there’s a lot going to happen before the last frame plays. I can’t help but think Ezra is somehow involved with all the “A: mess. Just don’t know how.
Sam-A
August 17th, 2012
10:45 am
Same with the alien invasion show with John Ritter’s son – Deirdre watched it too. It was just gone one week, sadly. Was a pretty good show. TG for “Falling Skies” now.
Harriett
August 17th, 2012
11:08 am
I watched that one, too, Sam, the one with John Ritter’s son. So memorable now I forget the name. And, I don’t care, JT. I am still looking for my “Lost” fix!! Here’s hoping!
JTesla
August 17th, 2012
11:19 am
I’m sure it will be good, but I have a funny feeling that the Lost connection will only hurt it. People want the next Lost and will overlooks something decent just because it doesn’t remind them of Lost. For me, I just grow tired of some staples… I want something different.
Just me being a contrarian.
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
11:19 am
I need a Lost fix as well. Falling Skies is pretty good and Walking Dead is excellent. I watched a couple of episodes of the John Ritter’s son’s show……come on, k&cf, we need our trivia expert for the name….but I lost interest. I think it was too much, too fast. Lost gave us little bits of intrigue while introducing us to the characters. It was a really interesting concept, done very well. Not sure that will ever be repeated.
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
11:21 am
I would also love to see a return of Firefly but with Nathan Fillion busy on Castle, Netflix(which was considering it) won’t do it.
JTesla
August 17th, 2012
11:35 am
A return of Firefly would be awesome, but it won’t happen. Joss Whedon is too busy counting his money from The Avengers.
Mercedes S.
August 17th, 2012
11:36 am
Jordin sparks is listed as the star of “Sparkle” but she’s the least memorable actor in the film. She does get to shine at the very end, in an insanely, over-the-top produced one-woman show, but until then she’s only all giggles and smiles… then again, she plays a teenager.
Movie well worth seeing, though, for Whitney Huston’s performance as bitter has-been singer trying to protect her three daughters from the evils of showbusiness. Her voice all gone, she still gives a stupendous rendition of “His Eye Is on the Sparrow”. It goes straight to your heart. It will make you shiver,
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
11:40 am
Thanks Mercedes, I’ve been looking forward to hearing what you had to say about the movie.
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
August 17th, 2012
12:03 pm
D, the show y’all are talking about with Josh Ritter was The Event. I tried it, but it didn’t make me want to stick around. The same thing happened for me with Terra Nova. And I still miss Lost. One day, when I have time (so probably never), I’d like to start watching it again.
Sam-A, yeah, there’s something else going on with Ezra that hasn’t been explained. That said, I’m not sure if it’s just a red herring to throw us off. I’m still thinking that there is something else going on with Caleb and Lucas. So far, I still pretty on the fence about a few people. One other girl who rubs me the wrong way is that college girl, (Cece?) who just randomly showed up in Rosewood claiming to be an old friend of Ali’s. She looks like she’s hiding something. I also suspect Maya’s cousin, Nate. Ha. I suspect everyone at this point, which I guess it the point.
Mercedes, thanks for the review. I’m sure I’ll be watching it at some point. I’m planning on Bourne for tonight.
bknsty14
August 17th, 2012
12:11 pm
I too lost interest quickly in The Event. The River, too. Never tried Terra Nova. Liked Alcatraz…gone too soon. A couple months ago I watched Lost all over again from start to finish on Netflix, and I would be willing to go back and do it yet again. that show was so good, I’m afraid we’re never going to get one quite like it again. And I picked up on so any things that I missed the first time around and things made more sense. I hope Revolution is good. I think it’s the only new fall show I am even interested in.
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
12:35 pm
I watched 2 episodes of the River and never went back. It felt forced and silly to me.
JTesla
August 17th, 2012
12:42 pm
You all should start watching Doctor Who. It’s on Netflix. You can either start with the 2005 season, Series 1, or start with Series 5 which ran in 2010. Good stuff.
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
12:57 pm
Thanks, k&cf…I knew you’d come through for us!
JT, aren’t there a whole bunch of Dr Who’s?
I’m a big fan of the 21st century version of Battlestar Galactica. That was a fraking good show!
JTesla
August 17th, 2012
1:42 pm
Yes, which is why you should start with 2005. Only 7 seasons that way and you don’t need to go back to see the older shows. It’s a continuation, but sort of a reboot as well.
I really need to watch the new version of Battlestar Galactica… one of these days.
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
August 17th, 2012
1:44 pm
I tried to watch Alcatraz and I liked the premise, but for some reason, I think there was a conflict and recorded it but didn’t get a chance to watch it. By then I’d heard it was cancelled so I didn’t bother to watch it. That also happened with The River and Missing. I really liked Missing, but if I’m saving a show on the DVR and I hear it’s been cancelled, I just delete it.
D, I agree on The River. I think I watched 3-4 episodes, but it became a bit “creepy just for the sake of being creepy” and I lost interest.
Harriett
August 17th, 2012
2:11 pm
I started with Alcatraz, then decided I had too many other program committments and stopped. I absolutely loved The Event and was sad it never came back. Like you, D, only watched two episodes of The River. Too contrived. Lost was one of a kind, I agree, but somehow I keep thinking the same minds that came up with that should have something left. Terra Nova was only mildly interesting and I was expecting its cancellation.
G
August 17th, 2012
2:29 pm
I’m not a Jordin fan, but I do fancy her a lot more than pp. She seems to be getting the right push, but she’s just not sticking to people. She’s cute, but she lacks the sexy pop appeal of Rihanna/Beyonce, and she falls way short of the vocal prowess of JHud. Who knows, maybe if she shows a bit more skin and hooks up with Drake, that may propel her.
Sam-A
August 17th, 2012
2:33 pm
K&CF: To be honest, I suspect just about everyone! Even Spencer’s extremely creepy parents! Lucas definitely, and Caleb has acted weird on several occasions! Yes, the dress shop owner did turn up very strangely. And the Doctor, who now seems to be really into Hannah – everyone on the show other than the 4 girls are creepy, so maybe the red herring is the girls are all “A” and everyone else in innocent!!!
Seth T
August 17th, 2012
2:50 pm
Here is Melanie Amero’s 2nd release – “love Me Now” – Her other recent was “Don’t Fail Me Now”, which I don’t think ever hit the Hot 100.
http://soundcloud.com/melanieamaro/love-me-now
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
2:52 pm
Hated Alcatraz. For one thing, the female lead was high school cute. I just couldn’t see her as an adult cop. And the stories were just goofy.
I felt the same way about Terra Nova as Harriett. The concept was interesting but it didn’t feel like it was going anywhere. With Lost, I couldn’t wait for the next episode…I even yelled at Rodney once for calling me right after Idol ended because Lost was just beginning. I’m sure he remembers. He was a Lost fan, too but he was taping it and I wasn’t.
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
August 17th, 2012
3:07 pm
G, it’s a shame that a nice seemingly normal cute girl like Jordin would have to resort to such tactics to get attention. I’ve liked the stuff she’s released and I know she did theater for a while.
Sam-A, indeed. Spencer’s parents give off such a creepy vibe…Wren (the awfully young doctor) seems to conveniently be everywhere. But I thought Melissa met him at school so I can’t see his prior connection to Rosewood and Alison. Some have theorized that one of the Liars is actually involved….which I suppose would be an interesting twist. I’ve gotten a bit confused as to if A has claimed to have killed Ali or just knows what happened?
Seth thanks for the Melanie update. I have to ask, why are song so “demanding?” Everything is “NOW.”
D, LOL. I think I probably would have let Rodney’s call go to voicemail. Sorry, Rodney!
Seth T
August 17th, 2012
3:13 pm
I watched “The Next” (singing talent show) on the CW last night. It was surprisingly fun-spirited and the 4 singers competing in the first episode from Orlando, were all very good. I could see where all 4 of them would have turned all 4 chairs around on The Voice.
They were not amatuers, but all had some either local, regional or My Space/YouTube success before getting selected to try the competition. The gist was that the Mentors had to go into the contestants world and had 72 hours to help them select a song and prepare to perform for the competition.
The Mentors, Nelly, John Rich, Gloria Estafan and Joe Jonas – sometimes had to help the contestants mow their lawns, work in a retail store, fix meals, etc. in their daily routine, while working with them to prepare for the stage.
From Orlando, 3 young ladies and one guy competed – and I think the girls were great, but the guy won – because I think the audience was splitting votes between 3 good girls, and the guy slipped through.
The audience votes on-the-spot. One vote. and it’s over right there, and they move-on to the next city. The Orlando winner will go to a semi-final down the road. A fast-moving competition.
I was impressed with young Joe Jonas in this role, he was very down-to-earth and has a good sense of humor. John Rich and Nelly seem a little self-important, but they did produce some motivation and good advice to their contestants.
bknsty14
August 17th, 2012
3:16 pm
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
2:52 pm
“Hated Alcatraz. For one thing, the female lead was high school cute.”
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm182289408/nm1967673
I wish I went to that high school…
bknsty14
August 17th, 2012
3:18 pm
I guess I should have said “…had gone to that high school”
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
3:28 pm
bknsty14: That is NOT how she looked on Alcatraz.
bknsty14
August 17th, 2012
3:32 pm
I know.
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
3:34 pm
This is how she looked in Alcatraz:
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/x6qZI4fDCKY/2012+Winter+TCA+Tour+Day+5/KHDaJyqxlJ1/Sarah+Jones
Harriett
August 17th, 2012
3:34 pm
Hey, bknsty, at least you didn’t say had “went,” as is so ubiquitous these days. I heard three different announcers on tv say it recently and even one news anchor one time
bknsty14
August 17th, 2012
3:43 pm
She’s still good looking. And my mom was an English teacher, so I was corrected a lot when I was younger. Speaking well is a thing of the past.
JTesla
August 17th, 2012
4:29 pm
Your rite their bknsty14!
Harriett
August 17th, 2012
4:57 pm
Speaking of English teachers…well, good for your mom, bk!
Happy weekend, everyone!
Deirdre
August 17th, 2012
7:25 pm
The latest on the Idol judges from mj:
If FOX and Freemantle had their way, the panel would consist of previously announced judge Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, a country star (the leading candidate is Keith Urban, says an insider) and a Latin artist (Enrique Iglesias is reportedly the #1 choice).
Mercedes S.
August 17th, 2012
7:43 pm
Of the other moves openinng today, “ParaNorman” is a terrific parent/(mature) kid adventure. Animated in the “Coraline” manner, it “stars” Norman, a smart kid who sees and interacts with ghosts – and is bullied for it. Life lessons are taught in an intense, spooky way (sensitive children might be traumatized), often with a morbid sense of humor.
Mercedes S.
August 17th, 2012
7:50 pm
Imagine, if you will (probably not) a malevolent Honey Boo Boo family and you’ve got the poor white trash that people “Killer Joe”. There’s not a single sympathetic character here, and the worst one is “Killer Joe”, a sheriff who helps peple in need commit perfect crimes. Matthew McConaughey is masmerizing as the creepy title character, and he’s got good support from the crew planning on a matricide – Emile Hirsh, Thomas Hayden Curch, Juno Temple, and Gina Gershon.
Mercedes S.
August 17th, 2012
8:24 pm
“mesmerizing”, of course…
Best movie opening this week (and bear in mind, I haven’t seen “The Expendables 2″): “Easy Money”. An unglamorous look at modern crime, in a modern city, Stockholm, Sweden, where the cops seem helpless fighting the Russian mafia. Only here the Russians are replaced by a nasty crew of immigrants from Spain, Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia. In their midst is a clever business student from a working class background (Joel Kinnaman, from “The Killing”), trying to jump into a “better” (titled) class by “helping” drug lords wash their money.
Highlander
August 18th, 2012
4:20 pm
I guess it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that Sparkle has gotten much more publicity than it might have due to Whitney. …And without Whitney’s death, it probably would have just been relegated to the dust heap of tried and not-so-true remakes!
Still not many original ideas (or original thinkers, anyway) in Hollywood. Then again, if their best shot at an original effort is something like Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, maybe we’re better off anyway!
Highlander
August 18th, 2012
4:25 pm
And I get tired of every post-apocalyptic show and movie where it looks as if not a single broom or bar of soap survived!
JTesla
August 18th, 2012
6:27 pm
I’d give Hollywood credit for “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” if it weren’t based on a book, that probably was inspired by the twist done by “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”.
Highlander, I’m with you on the post-apocalyptic. The brooms all broke, but the women’s hair looks perfect. No bad hair days in the apocalypse ladies, time to star prepping.
Deirdre
August 18th, 2012
8:45 pm
Seriously? Did you see Charlize Theron in The Road? The woman hadn’t seen a comb or shampoo in months!
bknsty14
August 19th, 2012
12:41 am
Hard to make Charlize Theron look bad. Except in the movie that she was a serial killer.
Vast Wastrel
August 19th, 2012
1:20 am
The soap doesn’t work without water. No electricity essentially means no running water. This doesn’t explain Waterworld but there are no explanations for Waterworld.
JTesla
August 19th, 2012
2:28 am
Well one example doesn’t invalidate my point, especially after seeing so many promos for Revolution which I think sparked this discussion. I’m with bknsty14, after Googling images of her in The Road, she still looks good.
Seth T
August 19th, 2012
7:52 pm
On the UK X-Factor – here’s a British Guy (wth guitar)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s60ERyDcpkk
Shelle
August 21st, 2012
8:48 am
You gotta love Mike Epps. NOBODY MENTIONED HOW WELL HE played his role. Totally out of his character, yet played the role of a comedian. You’ve gotta give Mike Epps his props. He was outstanding!!!!