Opening Night

What happens when a Music Video Director (Isaas Rentiz) gets his shot at making a feature film? Well of course, he makes a musical-ish type movie. Unfortunately, not even the always terrific Topher Grace ("That Seventies Show"), Anne Heche, Taye Diggs and/or NSYNC's JC can make this embarrassing so called musical comedy entertaining. Grace is a failed Broadway star, now stage managing the Broadway Show "One Hit Wonderland". The musical tells the story of many a one hit wonder song, lead by JC, co-starring Heche and directed by the always yelling Rob Riggle ("How to Be a Latin Lover"), all done to the Christmas Past theme. NSYNC joke are a plenty, over the top acting is at its highest, and stage and behind the scene sporadic dance numbers (choreographed by Aakomon Jones) are weak. Writers Gerry De Leon and Greg Lisi just didn't know when to stop, so they didn't (especially with the NSYNC jokes). Luckily for the viewer, a few actors weren't encouraged to "let it fly," thus Lauren Lapkus ("Crashing") and Alona Tal ("Hostages") ground the chaos that encompasses this production. It is no wonder this film (released by Wolfe Video 8/1) is going directly to DVD release. One can only hope that the actors involved here "paid off an outstanding debit" for their involvement and can now move on.

The title gives it all away, opening night of a musical show in Broadway. This film is like a short trip down memory lane with all the songs and the familiar players, the star of the show, the big egos , the crazy, frantic scenarios backstage before the curtain rises and what happens in the dressing rooms after the curtain falls. The singing is not a la Rock of Ages, ditzy and over the top, but here it's like the characters are practicing in front of a karaoke machine before going onstage to audition for Simon Cowell. Please lower your expectation bar in order to enjoy the cheesiness and candyness of this film.

I actually like musicals, but this one just didn't quite work for me. I am a huge Topher Grace fan, and I liked the rest of the cast--it wasn't their fault. The cast delivered what was asked of them. It was a grin hearing all of the "one-hit wonders" again, but some of the arrangements didn't do the music justice--especially for a musical based on popular and well known songs. Of course the story line had all of the usual musical ingredients--love story, boy loses girl, etc. etc. with some fine dancing thrown in. I really should have enjoyed the film much more than I did.

I believe the fault was in the way the story was told--there was simply too much of the "poor me" aspect, and not enough of the rallying, let alone the come back. It's like they emphasized the wrong part of the movie, or else rushed the ending to wrap it up before the story was fully told. It left an empty space where character development/growth should have gone. The uplifting ending was just too abrupt. If it was a song, it would be a three note lullaby.

If you like musicals you should like this. If you don't care about character development, especially in a musical--then you'll like this. It just didn't quite hit the mark for me. Could have been much better with a little more development. It wasn't terrible, or even bad, just- -forgive me, flat and a little "pitchy".

Occasionally you get the movie about movies, or the play about plays, or - as it is in this case - a musical about musicals. I will give it what it's due: the music didn't feel out of place until the very end. I mean, it's a film about the musical business, of which it makes fun of for having people breaking into song for no good reason, so it makes sense to have people break into song all the time, especially if you like circular reasoning. And the acting was OK, although I really feel Topher Grace was pretty weak as a lead and the show was stolen by Taye Diggs, as always.

Other than that it is a straight stage movie, with the high stake opening night as a background, the fast pace of everything, having to work with people that are very different and often overdramatic, the obligatory romance between coworkers and the eventual stand-up ovation that was cringeworthy at the end.

So, I didn't feel the film opened any new world to me. I still dislike musicals and all they stand for and the antics of over-drugged drama queens are of no interest to me. If you like that kind of thing, you might enjoy this. Still I rate it low because I just thought it was a weak movie, not because of the subject matter.

I had not read about this movie when I watched it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the witty comments and references. It had me laughing quite a few times. I feel it is a bit of a "parody" in some ways, but no overkill by any means. It was a fun and easy watch. I think you have to like the genre musical, even if this is not a 100% musical. A bit goofy and silly overall, just as I like it. Cast was OK as well, good mix of known and less known. Movie of the year? No, but worth 1.5 hours in my opinion.