Sparkle (I) (2012) User Reviews (57)

A Proper Remake. It Sparkled

[champjohnson29 · 7/10 · 17 August 2012]

Before I begin reviewing the movie, I just want to say first that if you haven't seen the original or didn't even know that there was an original, you might not enjoy this movie as much as someone who respects it's classic status in black cinema. I actually thought that this movie was going to be terrible. I kept telling my roommate and best friend that I'm not excited and might just watch it on bootleg and if I do go to see it it will only be for the late and legendary Whitney Houston. But thankfully I was invited on a date, so I was relieved that I didn't have to pay for this terrible, terrible film. But to my surprise, I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

As an upcoming writer and film school graduate, there are things about this film that I can truly appreciate more than the average movie goer, like the costumes, the set design, the hair, the locations, and most definitely the script. It was solid. For this to be Mara Brock Akil and her husband's very first feature film together, the script was very well written. It had a lot of memorable one liners and great comebacks. Also, the writer put a few spins on the story that worked very well as an adaption.

Jordin Sparks did very well as Sparkle. I don't think the character was a stretch for her because she's sweet and shy in real life but for this to be her first film she did great. Mike Epps as Satin was a surprise to me. He's usually the smart mouthed side kick in stereotypical black films but his personality played well with his character. Derek Luke was solid and Tika Sumpter was awesome. In the original, Sumpter's character didn't really have much of a story but I appreciated the fact that the writer's gave her a backstory. Whitney Houston did phenomenal as the mother. Her vibrant personality is totally opposite of the film's character who was depressed, unhappy and sort of narrow minded. But the star of the evening was definitely Carmen Ejogo as Sparkle's older and sexy sister, Sister. She stole the show. I had never heard of her until this movie but she was awesome. While the acting wasn't Oscar worthy everybody did a solid job.

The original definitely had its flaws. There were holes in the story and unanswered question but I feel as all movies back in the day were still finding their proper structure. But this adaption definitely left me satisfied. There was more character development, more backstory and since the the movie is about family the bond between all three sisters s what made me love this movie even more. You can tell that they all loved each other and would had each other's backs no matter what.

I'm happy that the original music was in this film along with new ones. The vocals were good but of course Whitney Houston dominated in that department being that she is one of the greatest voices to ever walk this Earth.

Overall, Sparkle was a solid movie. Very enjoyable family film. I have a feeling that a lot of people are gonna love this movie, a lot of people are think it's okay and a lot of people are going to hate it. But these types of movies aren't meant for everyone's enjoyment, only those who understand and appreciate this type of story. I recommend it for all who know the original, all who love good music and all who love Whitney.

Houston's Swan Song Overshadowed by Ejogo's Star-Making Turn

[EUyeshima · 7/10 · 1 December 2012]

There's an indisputable star of this synthetically watchable 2012 melodrama, and it's neither the late Whitney Houston in her last role nor Season 6 "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks. It's relatively unknown British actress Carmen Ejogo (Maya Rudolph's sister in "Away We Go") who explodes off the screen in the meaty, scene-stealing role of Sister, the hell-raising eldest of a trio of daughters to Emma Anderson, an uptight, church-going woman who raised them on her own. Emma is Houston's supporting role, and while she proves she had the makings of a solid character actress, there is an unfortunate shroud of irony in her presence given her own tragic, tabloid-saturated life was itself a cautionary tale about the lure of drugs in show business. This time in the part Lonette McKee played superbly in the 1976 original, Ejogo inhabits the character living out the nightmare of drug addiction and spousal abuse.

The rest of the movie is mostly by the numbers. It opens in 1968, a decade later than the original movie's story, with Sister and her little sister Sparkle sneaking out to a nightclub headlined by a period- costumed Cee Lo Green in a cameo appearance. Sister vamps her way through an original song by Sparkle, which attracts the attention of an aspiring record producer named Stix. He encourages them to shoot for the big time, so they convince level-headed sister Dee to make it a trio decked out sequins, wigs and false eyelashes in order to become the next Supremes. What struck me is how eerily the three women look like the original Supremes line-up with Sparks resembling Florence Ballard and Ejogo looking like a sultry cross between Diana Ross and Beyoncé. Of course, their newfound success comes with heartache, as Sister takes up with a smooth albeit vicious stand-up comic named Satin, and Sparkle struggles between family devotion and her burgeoning love for Stix.

Naturally Emma is constantly worried that her girls will repeat the same mistakes she made when she tried to make it as a singer only to be spit out by the music industry. That means Houston spends most of her limited screen time either fretting about her family or being self-righteous about her religious convictions. The dinner table scene between her and Ejogo is the movie's best scene laying bare the deep-seeded resentment Sister has for her mother and providing a flash of grief over a line that reminds you how Houston died. The melodrama is laid on pretty thick, especially during Sister's downward spiral, but director Salim Akil ("Jumping the Broom") and his wife, screenwriter Mara Brock Akil, balance it with just enough lighter moments. The songs, of course, are what matters the most, and smartly, Curtis Mayfield's original compositions have been retained with the standouts being "Hooked on Your Love", "Look into Your Heart" and especially "Something He Can Feel" which Ejogo performs with sultry conviction.

The new songs by R. Kelly are not nearly as memorable since they sound too contemporary for the period. Sadly, Houston sings only once in character, the spiritual stand-by, "His Eye Is on the Sparrow", and limited to her lower register, her coarsened voice, while emotionally impactful, is vocally a mere shadow of her once-beautiful pipes. Sparks gets to sing a lot more with a predictably booming voice, and she delivers an unaffected turn in the title role. Mike Epps gives a strong performance as Satin, and his scenes with Ejogo echo similarly volatile scenes in "What's Love Got to Do with It?" As Stix, Derek Luke does much better work than Philip-Michael Thomas in the original. Tika Sumpter provides some memorably defiant moments as Dee, the one sister who could take or leave the music. The movie runs too long at 116 minutes, but between Houston's death and Ejogo's star-making turn, it takes on a greater depth than the musical nostalgic trip it was originally designed to be.

surprised how great this movie was

[nina_lavaki · 7/10 · 17 August 2012]

I get skeptic on watching movies that revolve around singing groups in the 50s-80s because I feel like they are all the same. However, I absolutely enjoyed and would love to see this movie again. Let me just say Carmen Ejogo is an absolutely AMAZING actress. She practically had me in tears throughout the whole movie because she betrayed her character so well! Im not familiar with Carmens work but she sold it. Shes stunningly beautiful, and I cant wait to see her in other upcoming films. Jordan Sparks off course is an amazing singer, and for being her first film she did a good job. I think with time shell be better actress. I think this movie was a great last goodbye for Whitney Houston. Im glad I was able to hear her sing one last time. (: This is definitely a must see, and I will for surely be recommending this movie to everyone I see.

Decent but The Original Was Better

[Michael_Elliott · 10 February 2013]

Sparkle (2012)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Remake of the 1976 film about sisters Sparkle (Jordin Sparks), Sister (Carmen Ejogo) and Dolores (Tika Sumpter) who decide to try and make it in the music business even though their mother (Whitney Houston) objects to them doing so after her life was ruined by an attempt. The original movie was quite predictable but it was still very much worth watching because of the performances and the music. I'm really not sure why we needed a remake and especially since this one here takes place in the 1960s just like the previous ones. Either way, for the most part this is a mildly entertaining film but there's still no question that it falls short of the original. There are actually quite a few things that do work here including the performances but especially Ejogo as the troubled sister whose decisions are going to cost her and her sisters. I thought she was incredibly believable throughout the picture no matter what the story was calling for. It could be for sexiness in the music or the downfall of the drug addiction. This here was actually the first time I had seen Sparks in anything and I thought she was fine in the role, although, like the original, her character is pretty much in the background. As for Houston, she's not too bad in the film but I must admit that I think her death somewhat hurt the movie, which is strange to say because I doubt anyone would have gone to this had it not been her final film. Hearing her character talk about drug abuse, bad choices and other things just makes you think of Houston and her death. This really has a negative impact on the film that it might not have had if the actress didn't die during the post-production. Derek Luke, Mike Epps and Curtis Armstrong are all extremely good in their parts. Another negative thing is that the majority of the music is pretty forgettable with none of the songs really jumping out at you. This includes Houston's one number, which is just pretty weak. Still, SPARKLE manages to have enough in it to make it worth sitting through even if the end result isn't nearly as good as most would have hoped for.

Sparkle Shines but with Less Pain

[seansoulo73 · 7/10 · 18 August 2012]

As a HUGE fan of the original "Sparkle" from my childhood, it took some getting used to all the changes that were made to the new version, but somehow it worked. Mara Brock Akil is a talented Hollywood Showrunner and I've been a longtime fan of hers.

Whitney Houston played her part well as the over protective, bible toting, stern, and bitter single mom of three young women with a troublesome past of her own, who eventually comes around to showing support for her daughter Sparkle's dream of achieving secular music stardom.

The ads portray Cee-Lo Green as if he is a main character, but he simply has a short cameo role. Carmen Ejogo plays the part of "Sister" with a little less UMPH and sassiness than the original, vivacious Lonette McKee, but I loved the fact that Akil was able to give us a little more depth to most of the characters, especially Mike Epps as "Satin." He did an outstanding job, although he played the part of a famous comedian (go-figure), as opposed to a drug dealer like the original. Nonetheless, the guy has acting chops for sure! The oh so gorgeous Jordin Sparks and talented Derek Luke played the roles of Sparkle and Stix wonderfully.

What I would have liked to see was a bit more of the Levi/ Sister relationship before Satin wooed her away, as in the original film. The breathtaking Tika Sumpter played the part of Delores to a Tee, and there was a stronger bond of sisterhood the remake was able to explore.

There are just some unforgettable highlights in the original story that needed to stay, like the Stix & Satin alley fight, Levi working his way up the hustlers food chain. In the new film, he's on the bottom, and the next thing we know he's on top and giving Satin a dose of his own medicine, but we never learn how he got there. There was brutality with Satin and Sister, but the original "crawl" scene would have worked just as well in the remake. Also, there's never any discord between Sparkle and Stix. He says he's leaving, but never does, and she just takes him back with open arms. Delores desire to leave and become a doctor came from watching her mother struggle as a maid her entire life, but in the new film, they came from a middle class family, so there was no struggle.

Overall, it was a good movie that worked with all the changes, but if I had my wish, I would have wanted to see just a little bit more PAIN and STRUGGLE that sparked the original "Sparkle."

Doesn't much sparkle as have a dull shine

[rivertam26 · 6/10 · 22 August 2012]

Sparkle is a low rent version of Dreamgirls so to speak a remake of an unremarkable film form the 70s is a bad film make no mistake about it. The direction is very amateur, the cinematography is crap and the performances are mostly questionable but the film has its charms as well as it's good moments. And although the film is way melodramatic and unintentionally funny at parts it still manages to be entertaining and consistently engaging. The film centers on a trio of sisters in a band called well "Sisters" lol. The plotting movers along expectedly as they have a minor rise to fame while dealing with their overprotective mother, love, drugs, sex and domestic abuse. But the film also delves a little deeper into the intricate relationships between them due most to the solid performance from Carmen Ejogo as Sister she's sultry and seemingly self centered but underneath that she's extremely protective of her sisters she basically raised as her mother had problems. Because of that her position in the group and her family is a difficult, multi layered one and the best exploration is done there. Everything else feels a little forced and flimsy. I don't wanna be to hard on the film because for the most part I enjoyed it and maybe thats because I enjoy lifetime movies. It has it's good moments and it's bad and the best I can say about Whitney Houston's involvement in the film is that she was a very talented woman earlier on in her career and I hope she's at peace now. Although a mixed bag there is enough here to merit a recommendation if this type of melodramatic, musical period piece appeals to you. I'd also like to say that even though the film is set in the past it never feels that way. The consistency is off as well as the logic and it feels very modern with some retro costumes. The film doesn't much sparkle as have a dull shine. 3/5

Sparkle but no Shine

[cshprodigy · 2/10 · 19 August 2012]

Was not hyped about new "Sparkle" and didn't really want to see but we did this am. Glad we only paid $6.00, not worth much more. Film wasn't able to capture original's essence; the important cautionary tale of stardom. Houston purchased rights to script in late 90s and was going to make it a Aaliyah vehicle. This would have worked perfectly as Aaliyah had a strong acting talent; Jordin Sparks can't act nor does she have any 'star quality', certainly not enough to carry this film. Film was in preproduction when Aaliyah died so it was placed on hold.

Main problem is the writing. In trying to update script, writers mover location from Harlem to Detroit and time from late 50s to 1968. Fine; writing however was lacking big-time. I think they wanted to capture "Sparkle" with a touch of "The Five Heartbeats" and they failed. Dialog was dry, boring, and over done. Not surprising as the production team is the creators of The Game. "Sparkle"/"Five Heartbeats" made you care about the characters, not here. Add to bad writing, bad editing; it was more like a music video and you never felt like it was 1968 since all the costumes weren't authentic and looked like they were merely retro copies. The camera angles used were so slick that it came off as overdone. I think they forgot that in 1968 we weren't wireless. We needed Mic's, amps, and full bands, not synthesizers and computers. Most of the performances were displayed without any equipment. I guess film makers don't understand less is more. They also tweaked the most important and crucial element of the story (ie Sister's OD) which completely made the ending unbelievable and you felt like the lesson of the story was lost and never learned. It was strange watching one other thing about the film; the removal of it's black culture. The writers mention the race riots 2x in film but depict Detroit as being beautifully multicultural. All scenes have a nice balance of multi-ethnicities intermixing and socializing w/each other. It was like watching the Houston "Cinderella". The mixed cultures used there was intentional to remove the idea of race, but here it sticks out especially since one of the original story lines was about the civil rights movement. The writers only touched on this briefly and simultaneously on the dysfunctional family element during one scene. It was very sad to see and completely unrealistic of the time period.

Next of course is casting. I love artists who are 'triple' threats but they must be masters in all the elements of entertainment. I'm not a big fan of hiring singers to act and this film displays why. Sparks was exceptionally weak as Sparkle. First and foremost this is a black story about a black family. Like Carra and McKee, Sparks is mixed but where the aforementioned women are decidedly "women of color" (culturally) , Sparks is obviously more "white". I am not referring to her appearance but to her manner. Anyone who knows Lonette McKee knows exactly what I am talking about. Sparks tone of speech, delivery of lines, and lack of a natural rhythm stuck out b/c of this difference. Surprisingly Houston actually delivered the strongest of the women. God rest her soul, Houston wasn't always thought the best actress but she came out well here. Her acting was it's strongest since "Bodyguard" maybe b/c was telling her own story about the trappings of success. It's very obvious the production was expanded to showcase her scenes a/f her death. Her only song is in it's entirely w/o any edits. Supporting cast (the men) is stronger which helps the ladies but since the writing isn't there, it's all for moot.

Music- Where to begin? R. Kelly, sorry you are not Curtis Mayfield. Film is set in Motown 68, music shouldn't like 2012. Closing tracks, "One Wing" and "Love Will" sound way too much like today. Kelly needs some more throwback if he's really going to take this to Broadway. His arrangement of "Something He Can Feel" was nothing more than an EnVogue cover. I was left wondering if he's heard Aretha's original masterpiece.

All I can say don't go expecting have the same sentimental feeling for the original, you won't. I was hoping this would be so good that I wouldn't compare it to the original. Instead, I sat through this film wishing I were home watching my DVD of the original. Ulimately this film focuses too much on appearance and not enough on substance, much like our society today. It lacks the serious heart and empathy of it's predecessor.

A Pleasant Surprise

[CharlieP-5 · 7/10 · 17 February 2013]

I watched this film because my wife put it in the queue. My thought was - oh well - another chick flick - with singing - this is going to hurt. And yes - it was a chick flick with singing - but I enjoyed this one. The stage performances by the character Sister probably helped - but I also thought the film was generally well done. Considering her age and experience - Jordin Sparks did a fantastic job. Her performance at the end was masterful. So I was surprised (again) when I came onto IMDb to see some details and saw that it was rated a lowly 4.9. After reading a few reviews I noticed that many of the people giving lower ratings were comparing this film with an earlier version. That almost always results in a low opinion of the later version. I am an "old white guy" so I did not see the earlier version. I thought this was good. I gave it a 7.

Sparkles like a polished...well, you know...

[Jonathon_Natsis · 2/10 · 8 January 2013]

Pop star Jordin Sparks stars alongside Whitney Houston (in her final performance of what was supposed to be the second wind of her acting career) in Sparkle, a remake of the 1976 cult hit among black audiences. Conversely, the 2012 version, centred around a trio of sisters who hit the big time in 1960s Motown before being crippled by the lures of fame, is entirely devoid of any personality or soul, playing out like every other African-American themed shambles this side of Tyler Perry's repeated disasters.

Director Salim Akil (an apparent prodigy of Perry's stylings) breaths plastic life into the cardboard cut-outs he calls characters. Almost every stereotype conceivable in the dram-rom genre is on full display, including the preachy reverend, the tough girl, the abusive husband, the heavy-handed mother and her introverted daughter.

The performances across the board are sound, but a practically non-existent screenplay renders any interaction between characters essentially worthless. Even at a touch under two hours, Sparkle severely overstays its welcome. Given the similar plot frame and emphasis on glitz-and-glamour music, comparisons to Aussie crowd-pleaser The Sapphires are to be expected, but where the local production made its intentions clear from the outset, Sparkle rambles and labours, pleading with its audiences to maintain an unwarranted sliver of attention in the lead up to a drab and bitterly predictable conclusion.

*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on [e-mail] and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*

Was my life not enough of a cautionary tale for you?

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 7/10 · 1 September 2013]

Whitney Houston's last film. That alone is enough to want to see it over and over. She constantly reminds us of the tragic person she became, and of the smart, engaging entertainment persona she once was.

But that is not all. The soundtrack is fantastic" Houston is joined by some really really great singers: Sly and the Family Stone, Sarah Vaughan, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Aretha Franklin, Jordin Sparks, and many more. The best soundtrack I have heard in ages.

In many ways Sparkle disappoints. The editing is haphazard, the cinematography too dark, and there are holes in the story. But, oh, the music! And it is Houston's last film.

A Huge Mess

[Djadley_ · 4/10 · 17 August 2012]

This movie was really trying to hard to be a hit, you can really tell. I can't really elaborate much because you have to see it; there are some great little bits and every scene with Whitney, yeah you guessed it.. She kinda steals the show but she isn't in it as much as people would like or as much as people think considering that she is selling this movie.

I just thought it seemed a bit too try-hard, at one moment it felt tongue-in-cheek, then it felt Disney.. It was weird.

I'm giving it 5/10 for the relationship between Sticks & Sparkle because they were wonderful to watch together but mostly the 5/10 is for Whitney.

If Whitney were alive? I think I'd be giving this movie a lower rating.

Don't Miss This Movie - It Has Everything

[ccmcmnas · 10/10 · 17 August 2012]

This is a great, fun, enjoyable movie. It has everything: great lines and killer comebacks, wit, excitement, suspense, drama, charged emotions, great acting, a good story, beautiful cinematography, and of course, the music rocks. It is way, way, way better than the original. let me say that again in caps: IT IS WAY, WAY, WAY BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL. I was actually surprised it was so good, given the reviews. I really did not want the movie to end. Afterwards, I found myself wondering what the sisters would be doing 3 years later, and it's been a long, long time since I've cared enough about any movie character to think about them even 5 minutes after the movie. Sparkle delivers on every level: script, cinematography, realism, acting, and singing.

On the acting front, Whitney Houston delivered a powerful, raw and completely revealing performance. She was Emma. Her figure, bearing, and presence are completely transformed from "legend," "Whitney Houston," to a bruised and weary woman who is determined that her babies will not lose their way as she did, and who is fighting with every ounce of her being for their futures. When you know how funny and filled with energy Houston could be, then you see her as this world-weary mother, fighting for her kids, you see how great an acting job she does. She fills the role completely. Her song, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, is the showstopper and anchors the movie perfectly. I cannot think of any singing/song scene in any movie that comes close to what Houston does here. This performance alone is more than worth the price of admission.

Mike Epps is another standout as Satin: he delivers a memorable, slick, cool, and lethal performance. All of the sisters are excellent! Tika Sumpter was really great, as was Carmen Ejogo, and though Jordin Sparks' character is the quiet sister, she works the role and is believable. There are no weak performances on the screen. And, it goes without saying that the music works perfectly. The three sisters are really smokin' hot on the stage, with Carmen Ejogo oozing sensuous sex-appeal.

Yes, this is a remake, and yes, its a popular theme, but just like fairy-tales that we enjoy listening to and telling over an over, you want to hear this story retold because it is so well done. There are strong male rolls, and lots of testosterone-driven tensions, and, of course, strong female roles. So, this movie works as a good date night movie, a good movie to see with friends, and as a good movie to see on your own.

This is not The Godfather and it's not Shakespeare, but it is a well done, enjoyable, emotionally satisfying movie. I highly recommend it. Thumbs way up!

Sparkle Not So Much, Nice Shine is More Like It

[rgkarim · 6/10 · 17 August 2012]

I'm seeing ghosts! At least I thought I was when I saw that Whitney Houston was starring in a movie. However, I haven't received the gift to see dead people, nor have I gone crazy. Instead I went to see the latest musical drama entitled Sparkle, a movie about an African American girl of the same name. Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) has a dream to make it big as a musician, but her stage fright and lack of confidence leaves her hiding in the shadows while her sister Sister(Carmen Ejogo) lights up the stage. To her luck, a young upcoming agent named Stix (Derek Luke) pursues Sparkle and her sisters and attempts to help make them stars in Motown. However, Sparkle's life has some complications that will test her character and squash her dreams, especially from her mother (Houston). Will she succeed?

Does it sound interesting to you? It didn't to me, but I went to this film hoping to be surprised or impressed by something. As usual, we'll start with the things that did impress me in this film and the first thing I'll mention is the setting. Tristar pictures did a nice job bringing the late 60's Motown world to life with all of its funky soul and gospel power. The club scene at the beginning is a just the start of the impressive scenery work of the group and helps bring the audience into the world a little bit. Throw in some well designed outfits and classic mannerisms to help spice up things and you get an impressive artificial MoTown. Speaking of outfits, the wardrobe department applied their skills well as each of the three sisters wore their own style in both clothes and hair styles. Various jokes and cultural reference spanned off of the outfits (most of which was clever and cute), and from how the older audience members were reacting seemed to take them back to the good times.

If setting and outfits aren't your cup of tea, then the next strength would probably be the music of this movie. I'll warn you now that this movie is all about the soul, jazz, and blues music and those who would rather stick carrots in their ears than listen to this music should avoid it. From the start Cee-Lo Green gets the score pumping with an upbeat, and surprisingly clean, jazz song that will get you rocking in your seat. After that the music goes into a variety of emotion filled blue tunes, a couple of upbeat hits, and of course one or two gospel like melodies that may you have clapping in awe. While I'm not the biggest fans of these styles, I have to admit that these girls can sing. Sparks in particular puts her chords to the test as she hits high pitched notes that drag on for half a minute. Her powerful voice and spirit in her numbers captures the emotion of the tune, somehow bringing her thoughts and passion to life. Ejogo has some pipes as well, but her numbers are more of a storytelling/entertaining bit that made some of the audience members howl in delight at her gorgeous body. As you can guess Houston does well too, but she has only one song on the list that has some power to it, but plays little purpose other than showing off talent. One last thing to mention is that the songs were selected to coincide with the attitude of the movie at that point. Happy moments had the girls singing upbeat numbers, while sadder parts of the story had blues and soul music to help mirror the dismay and redemption. It's artistic, sappy, and cliché, but it's something I have to give props to for helping drive the movie along.

Now let me discuss the weaknesses of the film. For one thing this drama surprisingly has little character and story development for such a cast. Sure there is the main plot story of Sparkle wanting to become a star, but aside from that the shallow subplots, love interests, and backstory are cheated out. From the trailers you might know that the girls' mother failed in the music industry, but Houston's character never really told us the details of what happened. Another sister had career desires, but they just skimmed over that and showed very little struggle or challenge to her goals. There is one positive to this shallow story/character design and that is less time dwelling on a rather stale drama. Skipping on these details again denies the audience story for their money, it helps get them to the musical songs (and consequentially the ending) faster. Unfortunately this fast pace fails as one gets closer to the end, where they then decided to drag out the painfully slow details. While you finally get a few happy ties to the story, by that point I just didn't care from the spiraling downfall the story was, and just wanted to be out of the theater. However, those who love good closure on their drama will enjoy the last thirty minutes of the movie, especially if you are a Jordan Sparks fan. Other than that there is a little overacting, a lot depressing problems that may bring you down, and a few editing issues that need to be wrapped up.

Sparkle definitely isn't as shiny as the trailers made it, but it's not the worse movie I've seen this summer. Fans of the culture and music of the 60's will probably enjoy this movie more than anyone else, especially fans of Sparks' powerful voice. However, the pace of this movie, lack of real character development, and irregular pace makes this movie a Netflix at best so that you can turn it off if you don't like it and save yourself the time. My scores for this movie are the following: Drama: 6.0 Movie Overall: 5.0-5.5

So boring

[synash-79487 · 4/10 · 7 March 2021]

OMG! I felt nothing for any of the characters. And maybe because I saw the original as a teen drooling over Philip Michael Thomas as Stix, I couldn't really get into it. I felt nothing in "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" because it just seemed like 3 women dressed well rehearsing a song they'd rather not sing.

I guess the hunger for stardom when you're middle-class with no apparent struggles felt like kids disobeying Mom's rules.

Sparkle's speech she gave to convince the record producer a reason to sign her was drab and unconvincing.

The music is good, the story is actually good and if I had never seen the original all those years ago I could have enjoyed it more (thank goodness Philip Michael Thomas wasn't in this version. He was just pretty to look at back then!)

One last note: This is a great family movie. I don't recall any bad language and the most "salaciousness" was the choreography when the group sang.

One of the best of the year

[astonishing · 17 August 2012]

I absolutely loved this movie. All the actors did a great job. What a great way for Whitney to end her career with a such a beautiful project. She did a wonderful job. The story has a lot of differences from the original, but I loved these changes. I actually think this movie is superior to the original in many ways. The highlight for me was to see Whitney singing her gospel song, probably the best song performance ever captured in a movie. I read some people complain that the movie is different from the original, and I ask everyone what would be the point to copy the first movie? It would be boring. I actually find the remake more satisfying. In the first movie, the roles of the mother and also Dolores were almost non-existent, also the lighting and editing were bad. Also it was a very sad film, and while in the remake they still have sadness, it's actually more uplifting. This movie improves on everything. I'm actually planning on seeing it again.

I liked it better when it was called Dreamgirls

[italo505 · 6/10 · 31 March 2013]

Jordin Sparks really sparkles. That's about the only thing that elevates Sparkle from a wannabe "Dreamgirls" to what it is: a star vehicle for Jodin. To promote the movie they cast Whitney Houston in big bold letters but it's really Jodin Sparks who shines as a girl from Detroit in 1968 that breaks all the molds, including her mother's, in order to become Motown's new shining star. I don't mind that her sister named Sister (Carmen Ejogo) steals the spotlight. Sister is, after all, the one that drives every man in the club insane as rabid dogs (and I mean dogs, literally) as she puts on the heat with her sensual performances. All the while, Sparkle is the talented one, the one that pens and inspires the wonderful and original music. The movie is a delight to watch for the great outfits, the club scenes, the live music that you can almost feel and makes you feel part of the audience. Frankly, I enjoy Whitney's last performance as a stern, religious mother who oppresses her daughters to be good Christian, church going women that don't get to experience life and feel forced to sneak out of their home whenever they want to go out and have a little bit of fun at the club. Other performance I enjoy is Derek Luke's (from Antwone Fisher) as Stix, the man who sees Sparkle's potential, and bends over backwards to make her the star that she's destined to be. However, not all is peaches and creme in Sparkle. There's a goofy comedian named Satin (Mike Epps) who pokes fun at his fellow black folk in his stand up routines and makes sure to flash his bling-bling around Sister, who is as pretty as she is dumb to not realize what a jerk he is. The problem I had with their toxic relationship is that they fail at capturing the severity of domestic violence and turn it into an almost comical, over the top note that should never be. How predictable is this story when it tries to imitate Tina Turner? Had anybody seen What's Love Got To Do With It? Sparkle tries to borrow many used ideas from girl group films that might have worked well in the past but bring nothing new to the table, no mystery that Sister and Satin don't get a happy ending. And what's up with those names? Really, who sits and think of naming their kids Sparkle, or Sister, or Stix, or Satin... Really, who?

Good music but essentially just a remake of "Dreamgirls" I liked that one a little more just because of Eddie Murphy. I say B

[cosmo_tiger · 6/10 · 15 November 2012]

"Don't ever be sorry for telling the truth." Sparkle (Sparks) is a great song writer but is afraid to preform them herself. Her sister is a great singer who can seduce any crowd. Along with their other sister they form a group that is on the cusp of getting a record deal, all while keeping the secret from their mom (Houston). But not everyone can handle success. Going into this movie I was more or less expecting another version of "Dreamgirls". For the most part that is what I got. The ironic thing about this though is that the main singer in this who was trying to be like Diana Ross ended up being more like Whitney Houston (I'm not sure if she knew or not). Again though for the most part this is just a remake of "Dreamgirls", even casting another "American Idol" as the star. I can't decide what one I liked more but I'm leaning toward "Dreamgirls" mainly because I like Eddie Murphy. Overall, if you liked "Dreamgirls" you will like this one. I give it a B.

Sparkle is not shiny but rather dull and drab

[dgefroh · 2/10 · 29 November 2012]

First let me start by saying if you ever see a movie directed by Salim Akil, or a movie written by Mara Brock Akil, or a movie produced by either of these two clowns, think very hard as to whether your hard earned and much valued money should go toward the junk they call movie magic. These two jokers have duped the movie going public with the most transparent, poorly written, poorly produced and directed trite I've viewed in years. To say I disliked this attempt at a movie is to be too kind, it stinks!! Now the good...I actually liked the acting, Jordin Sparks showed promise, as did the entire cast including Whitney. The music was decent, not great but decent and it helped you make it through the drudgery of this terrible and predictable so called movie. The bottom line on this piece of junk is that it is so bad I've already forgotten about it....enough said, skip this one and watch out for Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil who are trying to pass themselves off as directors, producers, and writers, they are frauds and I personally hope I never hear their names again.

The Vidiot Reviews...

[capone666 · 6/10 · 26 November 2012]

Sparkle

Being in a 1960s girl group meant having to cut hit records in your kitchen, while mopping the floor and cooking dinner for your husband.

Fortunately, none of the vocalists in this musical are housewives.

When 19-year-old Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) agrees to form a girl group with her two older sisters, Sister (Carmen Ejogo) and Dee (Tika Sumpter), in order to win a talent contest, she is is not prepared for the upshot.

Rising through the nightclub ranks, the girls taste success.

But when Sparkle begins to branch out as a soloist and Sister is in an abusive relationship, the girls experience exactly what their mother (Whitney Houston) warned them of.

With enjoyable songs, admirable performances and all the delectable melodrama that comes from a meteoric rise in music industry, this remake out shines the 1976 original.

Fortunately for girl groups today, it's the record labels that are being bitch-slapped. (Yellow Light)

vidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

Unnecessary remake.

[CriticsVoiceVideo · 1/10 · 25 February 2021]

This version does nothing to improve upon the original film and actually negates a lot of powerful elements from the original story. This cast is not even in the same league as the original cast. Skip it and stick to the original.

Beautiful...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 4 May 2021]

Inspired by the musical trio The Supremes, in the 60s, formed by Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, a good film, beautiful, with a tragic dose, musically beautiful, and feminine, in its strength, charm, dedication and determination, but there is always the submissive who is beaten, sad...

Sparkle..??? Not!

[Msknowings · 3/10 · 17 December 2012]

The worse thing about this movie is that they fall in line with everything else that Hollywood does today and that's piggyback off of the truly great movie makers of yesterday. Zero talent in regards to coming up with your own ideas and concepts so you use one from the past, change a few things and in the end you create an extremely poor version of a great classic. Not only does the story completely change from what we know, but not one of the characters holds a candle to any of the originals. For a story placed in the 60's much of what they did change does not even seem to match up with the times. The only reason this movie gets a three from me is for the new songs in the end being semi-decent songs even though they also did not fit with the times and simply because I like many of the actors. I'm just sorry they all agreed to such a poor rendition of this timeless classic. This movie was so drastically changed from the original it should have never been considered a remake, but I gather that was done simply to ride the coat tails of a truly great story.

Everyone SPARKLED!!!

[ceddie85 · 10/10 · 18 August 2012]

I thoroughly enjoyed this film!!! Jordin Sparks carried her own in the movie and when she sings "One Wing" is her ultimate shining moment in "Sparkle". Mike Epps as "Satin" is the best role of his career and kudos to the casting agent for giving him a chance w/ this role. I pray he receives a Oscar nomination.Carmen Ejogo as "Sister" was mesmerizing,radiant&stunning..A STAR IS BORN!!!! she also deserves a Oscar nomination..she was brilliant.Whitney Houston this woman can do no wrong.what an amazing woman!!.I LOVED her in this film,she played the role with such incredible poise & control..she was excellent!!! her scene singing "His Eyes Are On The Sparrow" was a tearjerker for sure everyone in the audience was crying and cheering at the same time.truly my favorite scene in the film!!!! I give this movie a solid A

The hidden treasures in Sparkle

[Megnetizm1 · 6/10 · 27 August 2012]

Instead of 1950s Harlem, the eldest "Sister" and her sisters (Delores and Sparkle) were making things happen in 1960s Detroit. In the city of Motown, we see each sister's rising and failed ambitions.

I didn't see the remake on the day of its release. I saw the original (1976), so skepticism was high. There are flaws, but there are hidden treasures that make it a nice rendition:

Location, location, location - What better place to pursue music in the 1960s other than Detroit? Motown established acts that are still in movies and commercials. Not only is the music memorable, but so is the socio-political events. Mention of the riots raised eyebrows at the dinner table when Satin (Mike Epps) shows up. His position on the topic makes him a "coon" who later becomes ashamed of himself.

In stories of aspiring talent, it's usually a dream to escape the life they were born into. In the 1960s, industrialized Detroit made it possible for families to slice a piece of the American dream: beautiful home, new car, and trendy clothes. The sisters wanted to achieve more, even though they weren't doing bad, which is a nice alteration from the original.

Character development - Supporting characters shared their stories. Delores (Tika Sumpter) held her own! Her role in the family stayed true to the original, but we learn more about her personal motivation and goals. Before this, we didn't know where she was going. Emma, or Mama, (Whitney Houston) was portrayed in a different light too. In the original, Mama was a maid. In the remake, Emma was running things.

Kudos to the Akils (Girlfriends, The Game, Being Mary Jane) for broadening the antagonist spectrum. Usually, the "bad boy" is a drug dealer, but not here. In the remake, he's actually a working man with issues. Last but not least, Sister (Carmen Ejogo). She shared more of her past from a young adult perspective. In the 1976 version, we were introduced to a teenager who knew how to sing and started using drugs.

Domestic violence - These moments usually show a man attacking a woman. Well, Sister isn't Satin's punching bag! It's still considered domestic violence, even when a woman fights back. Bottom line, love shouldn't hurt.

Conflict Resolution - The film did a great job handling redemption. Originally, Sister fell in a downward spiral and that was it. Now we see characters work through their problems. Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) sets her past delusions of life straight in order to move forward. This time, we have a better idea of how far she can go. Despite a troubling past, Mama and Sister were able to work things out. Delores confronted stereotypes, then moved on to achieve opposite of the 'norm'. Love that Levi (Omari Hardwick) redeemed himself in the eyes of Sister and Satin.

Overall, the film was okay. I wish there was more to the Sparkle-Stix (Derek Luke) relationship. Costumes were overly modernized. Oh well, consider it a fashionable takeaway. R. Kelly was criticized for his musical direction, but, songs from the 1976 Sparkle will be remembered most. Sister and Sparkle's singing weren't as moving as the original singers (or even EnVogue's cover of Giving Him Something He Can Feel).

Remakes are difficult to make. You have to maintain the reputation of the first, and carve out a piece of originality for a new generation. The remake maintained the storyline and gave its own shine.

I love this movie, but it is not great.

[ashleyadair · 4/10 · 1 September 2018]

I really enjoy this movie and I love Whitney Houston. But the movie is not exactly a best picture.