SHOULD NOT’S

SHOULD BE’S

WELL PRESENTED

There should not be too many “main characters”

There were so many “main” characters, that the scenes just jumped from one to another without any real cohesion. Sometimes there were even two scenes going on at the same time with the camera flashing back and forth between the two.

There also should not be a timeline.

Before each “section” of the movie, you got a title like “Freshman Year”, “Sophomore Year”, “Junior Year”, and “Senior Year”. This would have been fine if they spent any time in these years. Instead, they went by so fast that the title just threw off the pace. For example, you get introduced to the characters and see “Freshman Year”. Then you get to see their insecurities and character flaws all over the course of one day. The next day is “Sophomore Year” and the characters have made no forward progress since day one of freshman year. The movie could have been vastly improved by simply stripping out these time stamps.

This movie should not be predictable. There were absolutely zero surprises within. As a result, there was very little memorable about the movie.

Although there was character development, it wasn’t too evident.

The characters must be developed more.

We’re suppose to believe that after their graduation they’re all “ready to make it” in the big, bad, unforgiving world of fine art performance. Unfortunately the output’s pretty much the same as the input, save for a few characters who turned into perfect gems overnight, with nary any focus on their transformation. The best just coasted through school, while the worst (amongst the best) turned in much better performances through the sprinkle of magic dust or through the rubbing of shoulders. There must be something in the diet served by the school’s canteen as well it seems

Fame fell short and became plain, formula, predictable, and ultimately boring. The screenplay reeked laziness - who needs yet another teenage movie where it tells you that even the best amongst us suffer from trouble dished out by disapproving parents, romantic relationship roadblocks, yet another naive girl becoming bait for hot looking predatory guys, wanting to fulfill a deep desire and break out of routine, discrimination, trust and integrity. The list just goes on, no thanks to individual cardboard characters being assigned some thematic homework, and turning in the results in little episodes and scenes, without allowing the audience to build any emotional connection, or to even root for the underdogs.

The singing is amazing. The dancing is as you would expect, incredible but over all that’s it.