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FAMEMovie Reviews
Remake of the 1980s film, an ensemble drama about a group of students attending a high school for the performing arts. Cast:Kristy Flores, Asher Book, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Naturi NaughtonDirector:Kevin TancharoenRelease Date:September 25, 2009DVD Release:January 12, 2010From:MGM/UARating:PGLength:1 hr 47 min
Fame played to moderate reviews. • Dan Zak wrote in the Washington Post, "...harmless... a more solid, nuanced, mature and bald-faced version of young ambition than fairy-tale characters like Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers." • And Matt Semansky wrote in Toronto Now, "The performance scenes are electric, but there's little to latch on to in the shallow, low-stakes drama..." More Reviews Below...
Mary Pols, Time: GOOD "The movie's main flaw is its brisk pacing, which limits how much we engage with the cast.... it convinces you that high school, if not life, should go on forever."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 935 words, 09/25/09
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "Why settle for this dull, safe production -- at once airbrushed in plot and undisciplined in execution -- when you can watch 'Glee'?"(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 105 words, 09/25/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...stays faithful to the spirit and structure of Alan Parker's original while sucking out all the raciness. There's no nudity in the new 'Fame,' no one gets an abortion."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 280 words, 09/24/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...slick entertainment with some exuberance, but it's devoid of soul or heart.... The bland and predictable story seems almost incidental to the showbiz angle..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 09/25/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Andy Webster, New York Times: MODERATE "...while the movie suffers from a surfeit of flash, it nonetheless offers the undeniable power of young performers pursuing art at peak dexterity."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 507 words, 09/25/09
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...amiable... a fictional extension of the endless reality shows, from 'American Idol' on, that showcase sweat and competition in pursuit of stardom."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 390 words, 09/25/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "Why bother to remake 'Fame' if you don't have a clue about why the 1980 movie was special? Why take a touching experience and make it into a shallow exercise?"(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 706 words, 09/24/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: POOR "Someone has driven a stake through the heart and ripped out the soul of the original... Gone is almost every shred of the gutsy, gritty script that Christopher Gore wrote."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 852 words, 09/25/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...a desperate, cynical -- and most likely unsuccessful -- attempt by a dying studio to stave off oblivion by jumping on the 'High School Musical' bandwagon..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 512 words, 09/25/09
Linda Winer, New York Newsday: WEAK(cg) "...a big, bland and bogus clone of a movie update, which runs a half-hour less than the original and only feels like forever."(See all of Linda Winer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 327 words, 09/25/09
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "The new class at P.A. is strictly PG, sharing a chummy coffee with the vocal instructor (Megan Mullally) who takes them on a karaoke field trip to Lucky Cheng's..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 241 words, 09/23/09
Dan Zak, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...harmless... a more solid, nuanced, mature and bald-faced version of young ambition than fairy-tale characters like Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers."(See all of Dan Zak's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 576 words, 09/25/09
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "A hyper-real documentary quality is combined with a borderline fantasy feeling... it's the movie's best element and its one claim to distinction."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 726 words, 09/25/09
Robert W. Butler, Arizona Republic: MODERATE(cg) "...it never earns better than a C. And that's a shame, because the first 20 minutes of Kevin Tancharoen's remake suggest it could have been as good as the original."(See all of Robert W. Butler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 544 words, 09/25/09
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "As a demo reel showcasing seven promising young talents from their freshman through senior years, it's pleasant enough.... has fleet feet but lacks heart."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 373 words, 09/25/09
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...the first few minutes of a movie about singing, dancing, rapping, video-camera-wielding teenagers reminds you of a certain grimy horror franchise."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 942 words, 09/25/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...as eager to please as an ingénue, and as endearingly inept.... It has too many clichés and story miscues to make it worth remembering."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 09/25/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the PG-rated teens chastely kiss, never swear, and wear cute argyle cardigans to indicate that they're serious. It's a bit of a culture shock..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 612 words, 09/25/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: WEAK(cg) "...the wholesome new 'Fame' offers about as much flava as a Dr. Pepper commercial and about as much drama as a 'Sesame Street' rerun."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 279 words, 09/25/09
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD(cg) "Rather than discovery, we sense desperation in trying to stand out among the high school musicals and saved last dances that are now cliches."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 436 words, 09/25/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: WEAK(cg) "...if you're going to censor this material in imitation of the Disney Channel's greatest hit, you'd better fill in the holes with fun. 'Fame' forgets that."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 621 words, 09/25/09
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: POOR(cg) "...practically identical to Alan Parker's 1980 original -- I mean, it's the same damn movie -- except for all the parts with heart and humor and poignancy and soul and fun."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 608 words, 09/25/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: POOR(cg) "This film has premises -- the schoolrooms, stages and cafeteria of the Professional Performing Arts School in Hell's Kitchen, New York -- but no premise."(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 512 words, 09/25/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "The new class at P.A. is strictly PG, sharing a chummy coffee with the vocal instructor (Megan Mullally) who takes them on a karaoke field trip to Lucky Cheng's..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 241 words, 09/23/09
Andy Webster, New York Times: MODERATE "...while the movie suffers from a surfeit of flash, it nonetheless offers the undeniable power of young performers pursuing art at peak dexterity."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 507 words, 09/25/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: POOR "Someone has driven a stake through the heart and ripped out the soul of the original... Gone is almost every shred of the gutsy, gritty script that Christopher Gore wrote."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 852 words, 09/25/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Brian Lowry, Daily Variety: WEAK "...there's an exuberance to the performance sequences, but those frequent interludes don't so much advance the story as provide a welcome respite from it."(See all of Brian Lowry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 804 words, 09/25/09
Stephen Farber, Hollywood Reporter: POOR "...it's almost laughably bland and watered-down in its desire to appeal to the widest possible audience.... it has enough pizzazz to captivate undemanding tweeners."(See all of Stephen Farber's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 559 words, 09/25/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: POOR "Someone has driven a stake through the heart and ripped out the soul of the original... Gone is almost every shred of the gutsy, gritty script that Christopher Gore wrote."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 852 words, 09/25/09
Andy Webster, New York Times: MODERATE "...while the movie suffers from a surfeit of flash, it nonetheless offers the undeniable power of young performers pursuing art at peak dexterity."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 507 words, 09/25/09
18.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Fame's reviews are separated by an average 18.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Coverage:Fame's reviews cover 54.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 16,337 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 495 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 0.7 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Fame's reviews on average broke 0.7 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Fame's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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