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SPARKLE (2012)Movie Reviews
Drama about three sisters who form a singing group and become Motown stars, but fame becomes a challenge as their close-knit family begins to unravel. Cast:Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke, Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, Ceelo Greene, Curtis Armstrong, Terrence J. Corwley, Michael BeachDirector:Salim AkilRelease Date:August 17, 2012DVD Release:November 30, 2012From:Sony PicturesRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 30 min.
Sparkle (2012) played to good not great reviews. • Kevin Johnson wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "...entertainingly melodramatic... Energetic, colorful and packed with strong performances and musical numbers good enough to get by, 'Sparkle' beams brightly." • And Carlton Hargro wrote in Atlanta Creative Loafing, "Looking for nuance and subtext? This isn't your flick." More Reviews Below...
Mary Pols, Time: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a glitzy remake of the 1976 music-heavy film... decent entertainment.... It has nice bursts of comedy, some nifty musical numbers and an appealing cast."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 08/16/12
David Germain, Associated Press: MODERATE(cg) "Sparks has an innocence and earnestness, wide eyes filled with hope and decency, a blazing smile, that beautiful singing voice. And then she has to go and talk..."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 828 words, 08/16/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...the gravelly conviction of Whitney Houston's performance proves that this could have been the first step not merely in a comeback but in a major re-invention."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 657 words, 08/17/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: POOR(cg) "Whitney Houston deserved better... a formula job from scene one to dead end... In a movie that feels fake to its core, Houston is the genuine article."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 240 words, 08/16/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...full of show-stopping musical numbers that all but drown out the predictable story.... a fitting curtain call for Whitney Houston."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 389 words, 08/17/12
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: VERY GOOD(cg) "...full-bodied musical melodrama... The basic purpose of the film is to fit the story into wall-to-wall music, and it does that with style and energy.... solid entertainment..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 631 words, 08/17/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: WEAK(cg) "...nothing actually makes any sense.... an unholy mess of awkward staging, uneven pacing, and contrived 'big scenes' that strike whatever tone seems provisionally apt..."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 735 words, 08/16/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a strong cast, empathetic direction and memorable soundtrack help create a movie that does everyone proud.... Carmen Ejogo is the real heartbreaker as Sister..."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 08/17/12
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD "It works... Director Akil allows even the heinous characters, such as Mike Epps' self-hating comedian, a moment of insight or revelation."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 503 words, 08/17/12
Sara Stewart, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "For a movie called 'Sparkle,' the absolutely least interesting or central thing about it is Sparkle, although the 'Idol' singer does bust out one impressive performance."(See all of Sara Stewart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 790 words, 08/17/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a fun, sudsy tale of show-biz ups and downs, with an endearing Jordin Sparks in the title role as one of three singing siblings in Motown-era Detroit."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 315 words, 08/17/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...full-bodied musical melodrama... The basic purpose of the film is to fit the story into wall-to-wall music, and it does that with style and energy.... solid entertainment..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 631 words, 08/17/12
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...wisely retains most of the '76 version's Curtis Mayfield-composed songs... suffers from the weak screen presences of Carmen Ejogo and Jordin Sparks..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 238 words, 08/15/12
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: MODERATE(cg) "...the emphasis is on showbiz flash and liberal splashes of schmaltz as 'Sparkle' charges its way to a predictable concert ending that abandons the 1960s timeframe..."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 565 words, 08/17/12
Courtney Shea, Toronto Globe & Mail: WEAK(cg) "Anyone who has seen 'Dream Girls,' 'What's Love Got To Do With It?' or even 'The Doors' will find themselves in familiar (if inferior) territory here..."(See all of Courtney Shea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 587 words, 08/17/12
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A sudsy, eye-catching bauble... Even when Mara Brock Akil's script descends into lurid, hackneyed schematics, the performances possess verve and seriousness..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 681 words, 08/17/12
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...solid entertainment... In the end, I felt I had watched one star, Whitney Houston, dim as I watched another, Carmen Ejogo, born."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 555 words, 08/17/12
Jon Bream, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the music and characterizations are strong. But what prevents it from shimmering is a predictable plot... it's destined to be known only as Houston's last role."(See all of Jon Bream's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 502 words, 08/17/12
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...pure melodrama, but it's a high-powered, well-acted, entertaining melodrama. You may not always believe it, but you won't be bored."(See all of Randy Cordova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 536 words, 08/17/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Houston stands at the front of a church and mellifluously wraps that rasp around 'His Eye Is on the Sparrow'... What we're seeing is something holy."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 999 words, 08/17/12
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...was never going to be a masterpiece or anything close to it, but when a director gets everything out of a script, and more, that's notable."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 701 words, 08/17/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The performances are strong... But you can't ignore the real pop legend in the room... you think only of Houston, of a life ended too soon, and of what might have been."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 375 words, 08/17/12
Kevin C. Johnson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...entertainingly melodramatic... Energetic, colorful and packed with strong performances and musical numbers good enough to get by, 'Sparkle' beams brightly."(See all of Kevin C. Johnson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 543 words, 08/17/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: GOOD(cg) "...may wind up as Carmen Ejogo's breakthrough but will forever be remembered as Houston's swan song, and a glimpse of what her next life chapter might have been."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 489 words, 08/17/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: MODERATE(cg) "It's nice that 'Sparkle' honors the memory of Motown's heyday; if only it could have lived up to those standards. Instead, it dances with too many ghosts from movies past."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 547 words, 08/17/12
Rick Bentley, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...two good performances suffer because the director shifts through various film styles, going from a stagnant sitcom setting to a fast-moving high-concept sequence."(See all of Rick Bentley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 08/17/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...wisely retains most of the '76 version's Curtis Mayfield-composed songs... suffers from the weak screen presences of Carmen Ejogo and Jordin Sparks..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 238 words, 08/15/12
Mack Rawden, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "Houston, Carmen Ejogo and Mike Epps join forces for one dinner table scene that's as riveting and well-acted as anything put to film this year."(See all of Mack Rawden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 559 words, 08/17/12
Monica Castillo, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the music never quite touches the soul.... a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of the music industry, a fate tragically suffered by one of its stars."(See all of Monica Castillo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 143 words, 08/23/12
Keith Phipps, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "The film spends so little time developing its characters, apart from all that expository dialogue, that it's like asking audiences to care for paper dolls."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 08/16/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: POOR(cg) "...lacks emotional or even moral weight... poorly crafted, awkwardly edited, episodic, superficial... Whitney is the only reason to see 'Sparkle.' "(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 897 words, 08/17/12
Eric Henderson, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...death hangs over the entire production... Whitney Houston's death is just about the only thing that gives it real, albeit mostly unintentional, life."(See all of Eric Henderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 622 words, 08/16/12
Carlton Hargro, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "Welcome to 'Sparkle' for the Tyler Perry crowd; it's a black-and-white tale of extreme good vs. extreme evil.... Looking for nuance and subtext? This isn't your flick."(See all of Carlton Hargro's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 520 words, 08/17/12
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "It works... Director Akil allows even the heinous characters, such as Mike Epps' self-hating comedian, a moment of insight or revelation."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 503 words, 08/17/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Andrew Barker, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...deals in such well-worn rise-and-fall music-bio tropes that it's hard to blame it for simply coasting on narrative shorthand at times."(See all of Andrew Barker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 826 words, 08/16/12
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "It works... Director Akil allows even the heinous characters, such as Mike Epps' self-hating comedian, a moment of insight or revelation."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 503 words, 08/17/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "Houston is faded and raspy in a performance at once comic and chilling.... it's refreshing to see a women's melodrama that focuses exclusively on black women."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 08/16/12
15.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Sparkle (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 15.2 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.
Sparkle (2012) (40 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Sparkle (2012)'s reviews cover 65.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 23,096 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 577 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 9.8 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Sparkle (2012)'s reviews on average broke 9.8 hours before 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 Sparkle (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Sparkle (2012) (40 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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