Tancharoen’s background shows and steps in to save the film: highlights include an infectious rap in the canteen, a Hallowe’en “Carnevil,” and a show-stopper in a club, courtesy of Naughton.
Fame (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:102
Fresh:28
Rotten:74
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: Fame is ultimately undone by its choppy editing, its incomplete characterizations, and its apparent desire to appeal to the High School Musical generation.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for thematic material including teen drinking, a sexual situation and language.
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
Theatrical Release:Sep 25, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $22,429,956
Synopsis:
A reinvention of the original Oscar®-winning hit film, Fame follows a talented group of dancers, singers, actors, and artists over four years at the New York City High School of Performing Arts, a...
A reinvention of the original Oscar®-winning hit film, Fame follows a talented group of dancers, singers, actors, and artists over four years at the New York City High School of Performing Arts, a diverse, creative powerhouse where students from all walks of life are given a chance to live out their dreams and achieve real and lasting fame...the kind that comes only from talent, dedication, and hard work.
In an incredibly competitive atmosphere, plagued by self-doubt, each student’s passion will be put to the test. In addition to their artistic goals, they have to deal with everything else that goes along with high school, a tumultuous time full of schoolwork, deep friendships, budding romance, and self-discovery.
As each student strives for his or her moment in the spotlight, they’ll discover who among them has the innate talent and necessary discipline to succeed. With the love and support of their friends and fellow artists, they’ll find out who amongst them will achieve Fame …
The cast includes Asher Book as Marco, Kristy Flores as Rosie, Paul Iacono as Neil, Paul McGill as Kevin, Naturi Naughton as Denise, Kay Panabaker as Jenny, Kherington Payne as Alice, Collins Pennie as Malik, Walter Perez as Victor, and Anna Maria Perez de Tagle as Joy. Their instructors include Debbie Allen as Principal Simms, Charles S. Dutton as Alvin Dowd, Kelsey Grammer as Joel Cranston, Megan Mullally as Fran Rowan, and Bebe Neuwirth as Lynn Kraft. --© MGM
Starring: Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Kay Panabaker, Bebe Neuwirth
Starring: Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Kay Panabaker, Bebe Neuwirth, Naturi Naughton
Director: Kevin Tancharoen
Director: Kevin Tancharoen
Screenwriter: Aline Brosh McKenna, Allison Burnett
Studio: MGM
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Reviews for Fame
A watered-down tone ... causes the movie to drift dramatically between its musical and dance sequences.
Mullally has the most poignant moment, admitting to her students that the reason she teaches is because fame, for her, just wasn't in the cards. (Stardom, more than in the first film, is golden here.)
Some of the students specialize in classical music, others in dance, and still others in singing and acting, but the one thing they all have in common is their apparent enrollment in Clichés 101.
As a demo reel showcasing seven promising young talents from their freshman through senior years, it's pleasant enough. As a movie dramatizing the talent and dedication required to make it, the Fame reboot has fleet feet but lacks heart.
The new Fame has the feel of diluted imitation -- slick, superficial, short on heart.
The '80s sensation is reborn for the High School Musical generation. But sadly, this one's all fame, no journey.
While there are a few select highlights, it's nothing new and is certainly nothing exceptional or noteworthy.
Lives are spared in this sugarless new version of Alan Parker’s movie and the TV show it spawned. But innocent songs and unsuspecting dance routines are hacked to bits.
The 1980 film was not great, but its concept was fresher, the music and dance seductive and the stories emotional, but this recycled version is too slick, bland, and overly familiar due to Disney's High School Musical series and American Idol.
Thanks to the blitheringly awful script -- credited screenwriter Allison Burnett disavows it, and he willingly put his name on Feast of Love and Untraceable -- we barely get to know any of the young lead characters.
The new, unimproved Fame won't live forever except in DVD cutout bins, and remembering anyone's name will be a chore.
Tancharoen doesn't weave the stories together gracefully, and the musical sequences are edited in the chop-chop MTV style that does no favors to the performers.
This Fame is a film without the guts to show Idolized America that, as Debbie Allen so memorably said way back when, "Fame costs, and right here's where you start paying."
Forget about living forever: This new Fame will be lucky to hang around for a month.
Familiar? Yes, but not nearly as vapid as most of the musical material out there that encourages teens to believe fame is all that matters.
Fame has today's usual gritty form of slick to it, but in every other way it's an Amateur Hour and a half.
The new Fame is a sad reflection of the new Hollywood, where material is sanitized and dumbed down for a hypothetical teen market that is way too sophisticated for it. It plays like a dinner theater version of the original.
Latest News for Fame
September 24, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Surrogates Is A Passable Thriller
This week at the movies, we've got robot clones (Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell), artistic-minded freshmen (Fame, starring Kelsey Grammer and Megan... More...
September 20, 2009:
Five Favorite Films with Fame's Kevin Tancharoen
Though barely into his mid 20s, Kevin Tancharoen is, as the cliché goes, already something of an industry veteran. With a background in both dance and filmmaking, he's moved... More...
June 17, 2009:
Trailer Bulletin: Fame ![]()
Following up on April's teaser, the "Fame" reboot now has a full-length trailer. Will it live forever? Head over to Yahoo! and see for yourself. More...
April 19, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 90% 90% | The White Ribbon | 12/30 |
| 100% 100% | Daybreakers | 1/8 |
| | Leap Year | 1/8 |
| 83% 83% | Youth in Revolt | 1/8 |
| | The Book of Eli | 1/15 |
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