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"Director: Kevin Tancharoen Screenwriters: Allison Burnett, Christopher Gore Starring: Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Kherington Payne, Asher Book, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth, Charles S. Dutton, Paul Iacono, Collins Pennie, Paul McGill Running time: 100 mins Rating:PG Whether you&amp;#039;re a fan of musicals or not, everyone will be familiar at least with Irene Cara&amp;#039;s iconic song from the original Fame, a blockbuster movie that bagged two Oscars and introduced an entire generation to the wonder of legwarmers. It went on to spawn a host of money-making spinoffs, including a TV series, a Broadway musical, a reality show and this - an update aimed at the High School Musical generation of aspiring stars. But, with the rise of celebrity and 30 years gone since Alan Parker&amp;#039;s classic was made, can Fame 2009 hold its own? Proceedings open on audition day at the prestigious New York City High School of Performing Arts (now known as LaGuardia High) - a cacophony of noise, colour and sweat as hundreds of eager hopefuls prepare for their performance of a lifetime. Unfortunately, this initial excitement and exhilaration soon gives way to a confusing collection of disconnected storylines, underdeveloped characters and ridiculously predictable scenarios. Every clich\u00C3\u00A9 in the book is dug up as our heroes encounter the casting couch, dishonest producers, unsupportive parents and the harsh realities of seeing your friends succeed without you.  From the very beginning it&amp;#039;s clear that the enormous ensemble cast poses a big problem, as they arrive with practically no introduction and exit with little or no character development. There&amp;#039;s sweet and innocent Jenny (Panabaker), a timid mouse who can&amp;#039;t quite loosen up and has the charisma of a brick wall, making you wonder how on earth she got accepted, and her charmless boyfriend Marco (Book), who has the film&amp;#039;s cheesiest scene with his piano serenade. We also have Malik (Pennie), a perpetually snarling wannabe rapper/actor with a murky past, super-confident (and stereotypically kooky) film director Neil (Iacono), determined ballet dancer Kevin (McGill) and a host of other faces who blend into the background. For a movie about talent and fame, its a shame that only two characters really manage to stand out from the crowd. Former So You Think You Can Dance star Kherington Payne steals every scene as talented dancer Alice, with her flawless combinations and seductive moves, while Naughton (who played Lil&amp;#039; Kim in the recent Notorious biopic) impresses with her amazing voice and a couple of cracking solo songs. Elsewhere, veteran performers Kelsey Grammer and Megan Mullally inject some gravitas into proceedings as the warm and wise teachers striving to get the best out of their students, which in the latter&amp;#039;s case, includes a fantastic karaoke stint. Perhaps fittingly in a movie about image and performance, the star of the show is without a doubt the stunning choreography. Tancharoen uses his background as a choreographer for Madonna and Britney Spears to his full advantage, providing us with visually wonderful dance montages and an impressive, if sickly sweet, finale. One particularly evocative scene involves one performer being told that he doesn&amp;#039;t have what it takes while his classmates prepare for their flashy final dance.  Branded as a reinvention rather than a remake, this definitely veers away from the grittiness of the original. Rated a PG, unlike its predecessor&amp;#039;s R, this is family friendly fun that frowns on drunkenness (&amp;quot;Believe me, I won&amp;#039;t be doing that again&amp;quot;), plays up the importance of good work ethic and promotes the message that there actually is life beyond fame. While there&amp;#039;s no doubt this is an enjoyable and frivolous ride, it unfortunately lacks the punch and sizzle necessary to really sparkle and in the end it can&amp;#039;t quite match its beloved namesake.   &amp;gt; What do you think of the movie? Share your views "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/review/a179008/fame/>