'The Prom' could have been something special like the show was on Broadway, but instead of listening to the message the show has about negative effect star-power and acceptance, the movie actively dodges those themes. Removing Corden doesn't fix this mess, but it would have been a start. I can't say I don't recommend it; these are great songs and sung well here. I would catch myself smiling at the musical numbers, and I haven't stopped listening to the soundtrack. The film's opening credits are just the actor's names in the logo font, and I got chills with the score and seeing that on the big screen, with Rannells and Kidman reason alone to watch, along with newcomer Pellman. I love musicals - they have an energy no other genre has, but the lesson from 'The Prom' is the same as 'Cats': make something that's not for the masses, but true to the story. Also, the movie gets Streep to rap in the credit's song, and that's honestly amazing. - Chris dos Santos Read Chris' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-prom-the-good-the-bad-and-the-james-corden
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com I really love musicals, but Netflix's attempt at a cheerful, joyful, colorful, and culturally significant film turns out to be one of the most cringe-worthy, awfully stereotypical, ridiculously exaggerated movies of the year. From the astoundingly over-the-top (and honestly, somewhat insulting) performance from James Corden and Jo Ellen Pellman's one-dimensional debut to the contradictory narrative, Ryan Murphy's first feature film since 2010's Eat, Pray, Love is a massive disappointment. The Prom is supposed to celebrate equality by supporting an inclusive prom where everyone can go and feel comfortable being themselves. However, it restrains itself from showing a homosexual kiss or really any sort of intimacy, leaving that to the very last second of the movie, but it doesn't have any problems in fully developing a heterosexual relationship meanwhile. The breaking out into songs (which are a bit too many) mostly feels incredibly forced, making the whole film look more like a collection of sketches than an actual movie. A few excellent performances (Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells, Keegan-Michael Key), a couple of quite entertaining musical numbers, some nice choreography and camera work (Matthew Libatique), and an admittedly ambitious production design save this film from being a complete trainwreck, but it's still a disaster. Rating: D+
The cut-out heads of George W. Bush and John Kerry alternate singing verses and choruses of a partisan political version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." Bush and Kerry trade insults ("you're a liberal weenie," "you're dumb as a doorknob") and bragging rights (one's for tax cuts, the other has three Purple Hearts), as the animated backgrounds undercut the egos of both. Cheney, Rumsfeld, Edwards and Dean join their leaders in the choruses, and an American Indian provides counterpoint. Whose land wins out in November? You make the call.
Band leader Phil Harris, through a misunderstanding, finds himself with a job as a professional escort, and a date to take a rich young society girl to a night club. She picks the club where the Harris band is playing. Phil is kept busy trying to keep the band from telling the girl who he really is, and to keep the girl distracted enough so she won't notice he is leading the band.
A werewolf loose in Los Angeles changes the lives of three young adults who, after being mauled by the beast, learn that the only way to break the curse put upon them is to kill the one who started it all.
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Unable to complete the deal by telephone, advertising executive Roberts sends his assistant Ann to Cuba to lure a Cuban band, led by Desi Arnaz, on to an American radio program. Attracted to Ann, Arnaz and his band come to New York but complications arise when the squeaky-voiced, addle-brained sponsor of the program decides she wants to be the vocalist on the program.
At a sizable public college, high-minded student Eddy is forced to room with the slovenly Stuart, but the pair strike up a surprising friendship. When attractive co-ed Alex is assigned to live with the two male students because of her gender-neutral name, a roundabout love triangle ensues. Eddy secretly yearns for Stuart, who wants Alex, but she prefers Eddy. The complex situation leads to sexual experimentation and strained relationships.
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In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife's life is upended by a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in society.
When young Buddy falls into Santa's gift sack on Christmas Eve, he's transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa's helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can't shake the nagging feeling that he doesn't belong. Buddy vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, a workaholic.
An American girl, Daphne, heads to Europe in search of the father she's never met. But instead of finding a British version of her bohemian mother, she learns the love of her mom's life is an uptight politician. The only problem now is that her long-lost dad is engaged to a fiercely territorial social climber with a daughter who makes Daphne's life miserable.