SPARKLE
Sparkle based on the 1976 film starts on the right note as the film opens in 1968 with a performance from Cee Lo Green and Carmen Ejogo as Tammy "Sister" Anderson,one
of the 3 sisters(Jordin Sparks as Sparkle Anderson,Tika Sumpter as Delores "Dee" Anderson) who hope to form a group under the management of Derek Luke as Stix,but not without much protest
from their mother Emma Anderson (Whitney Houston).
The musical performances uplift Sparkle from it's basic and cliched plot and there should have been more of them.
Ejogo is very good as the sultry Tammy who falls for the slick,funny but abusive Satin Struthers (Mike Epps)
Tika Sumpter is good as the defensive and headstrong Delores.Jordin Sparks as Sparkle i felt was held back or at
least her soul stirring voice is held back far to long in the film.
Director Salim Akil drops the ball in 2 key dramatic scenes when he chose to shoot these scenes with odd camera work and music.
These scenes should have moved the audience instead they just
stimulate laughter.
Whitney Houston,as i watched her how could i not reflect on the great talent that she was, or how she passed particularly in scenes when her character talks about her own bad paths she
took that ended a promising career.As she looks upon Sparks in certain scenes it's as if she was passing the torch to a new generation of singers.
Scale of 1-10 a 7½
