Fame remake is a disappointing flop
WHEN I heard the West End musical hit Fame was coming to the big screen I decided this was one remake I had to see.
Having watched the theatre production I knew what to expect- a simple formula with some great tunes and kick-ass dance moves to boot.
How could the film makers possibly screw up this one?
Well it turns out there are quite a few ways.
The film stays loosely true to its predecessors, following the lives and dreams of a bunch of Hollywood wannabes trying to work their way through a New York performing arts school in order to reach the big time.
So how did the movie makers get it so wrong?
Firstly they tried to squeeze too many bit-part characters into one film, while the plot attempted to cover four years of time at the academy.
This meant every 25 minutes the story was broken up with time-clarifying interludes like 'sophomore year'.
And the story had so many characters the audience felt no affinity to anyone.
There was so much packed in that the characters could not develop as individuals.
In fact the only growth seemed to be the odd hairstyle.
But the actors and actresses can't be blamed for this.
The dancing was fairly impressive and there was the occasional instrumental solo that was quite good.
But with a plot that was stretched thinner than the lycra, the actors didn't really stand a chance.
I was surprised Kelsey Grammer, TV's Frasier, put his name to this flick, along with his long-standing on-screen wife Bebe Neuwirth.
Both played the parts of teachers at the school trying to help the teenagers through tough Academy life, and they did as much as they could with a limited script.
The film will hopefully act as a good launch pad for a string of all-round performers who are able to dance, sing, and play instruments.
But none stood out in the acting stakes.
Except perhaps Kay Panabaker, who played Jenny Garrison.
Her character had a 'jealous boyfriend' side plot and she had to flit between acting badly in her first year, to acting well at the end of the film.
Sadly the transition was so smooth it was non-existent. It was a bit like watching a school play, dreadful.
And this is one remake that should have been in relatively safe hands.
Christopher Gore co-wrote the film alongside Allison Burnett, and Gore has devoted a career to Fame.
He was heavily involved with the 1980 classic film, as well as a spin-off TV series in the US.
It seems with this 107-minute PG, Gore bit off more than he could chew.
I wasn't expecting the next High School Musical or Grease, but even the teenyboppers frequenting the cinema on a Saturday afternoon seemed more interested in their Slush Puppies and popcorn than the film.
But the biggest error made by the writers, by far, was only using the classic Fame song 'Fame I'm gonna live forever' over the end credits.
By which time the lights were on, the coats were on, and everyone in the cinema seemed glad just to get the hell out of there.
At first I thought maybe the movie makers had not bought the rights to the track.
To plonk this a half-baked montage on the end was the final slap in the face for me.
Fame? Lame more like.
by Debbie Lockett
star rating H
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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