Pure Country 2: The Gift

Wow, I can't believe so many "reviewers" would speak so harshly of this movie. Perhaps it makes them feel good to sit at home with a computer and write a review of how bad a movie is, but how many of these people could go out and do any better. Not every film is design to win an academy award. Some are supposed to simply entertain. Sure it was predictable and corny, but it was a family friendly, fun movie with a good message. No cussing, sex, killing or violence. Wow, what a concept. I watched it with my four young grandkids and we all enjoyed it. I didn't know anything about Katrina Elam before this movie. What a beautiful young lady with a great voice. And for having no previous acting experience, she did great. How many reviewers who panned her performance can sing like she does or will ever be in, let along be invited to star in any movie? It would be nice if reviewers would be a little more realistic in their expectations and look a films for what they are; entertainment.

I stumbled across this movie on HBO. I don't normally listen to country music, but I really liked Katrina Elam's singing, plus she's great to look at. Her acting is decent, plus she had some similarities to Bobbie Thomas, having gone to Nashville to make it in country music. The plot held my interest, kind of corny but uplifting. Bobbie falls for a rodeo cowboy, but the movie is so wholesome they don't even kiss. The three angels added a light hearted element to the movie, and country fans will like seeing George Strait's brief appearances, although fans of the first Pure Country will be disappointed that this movie isn't a continuation of the original. All in all, a good movie for families, Christians, country music fans.

The original Pure Country is a fun sentimental romantic movie with some great honky tonk and ballads - not so this new version. It has a low budget Heaven Can Wait meets new country vibe that is pretty darn awful.

The plot is the first fault with angels and a gift of voice that is beyond corny in its representation, the second fault is the corn does grow as high as an elephant's eye - we just get all the country clichés and though the original has some heart, this has only saccharine - and almost comes across as,(take a deep breath), fake. Nearly anyways.

All in all, I was kind of looking forward to this; the original is actually pretty moving and with its "A Star is Born" plot moves along nicely - this sequel is just a mess.

I'm loathed to say it, but maybe you should give yourself the real gift this one time and give this a miss....

Generally when you label a movie as a sequel (hence the "2" in the title) you set up the expectation that it will be a continuation or, at the very least, contain some of the characters from the original film. Since this movie bore no relation to the movie "Pure Country, I am at a loss to understand the title.

Yes, George Strait was in both movies. However, in the first he played a fictional country singer while in this sequel he played himself in a much smaller role. That is the only tie in. That being said, this movie could have easily had a different title and used a different well-known country singer without changing the plot.

Speaking of plot, this one was saccharine, corny and predictable. My husband sat through it with me and kept saying, "okay, now this will happen next." It was sad to see so much talent -- Michael McKean, Cheech Marin, Bronson Pinchot, even Dean Cain -- put to waste.

Katrina Elam has a great voice and I enjoyed some of the songs. However, unless you want your teeth to fall out from all the sugar or you're looking for something to put you to sleep at 3 am, avoid this movie.

I am still puzzled be the title, which rather indicated this would have a shred of connection to the original, which it did not. I'm also left to wonder whether Katrina Elma's atrociously affected character ruined her fledgling singing career, as I've not heard of her since this movie. But this movie would make a great drinking game. Take a shot every time Bobbie says "Thank you" throughout the movie. She must have said it two hundred times. Or, better make that "Thing Kew" in Bobbies saccharine "accent". It got annoying. A whole lot of this movie got annoying. I think. I would actually enjoy the soundtrack if I didn't have a mental image of the character singing it. Katrina Elam is no Carrie underwood but she has a nice voice.