Sparkle

From the accomplished singing to the eye-catching apparel, director Salim Akil's Motor City remake of the 1976 Harlem melodrama boasts a charm and style all its own (while retaining Curtis Mayfield's original songs). American Idol winner Jordin Sparks puts her powerful pipes to work as Sparkle, a late-'60s songwriter who forms a Supremes-style trio with her siblings, Sister (Carmen Ejogo) and Dee (Tika Sumpter). Raised by their devout mother, Emma (Whitney Houston in her final film role), the new band attracts good-guy manager Stix (Derek Luke), who falls for the demure Sparkle, and bad-boy standup comic Satin (Mike Epps), who seduces the glamorous Sister with the promise of an irresistibly glittering lifestyle. Soon, Sister is doing coke lines and daubing makeup on her bruised face, endangering the girl group's chance at a record contract, not to mention her life. Comparisons to Dreamgirls, which featured another Idol alum (Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson), will be inevitable, but the original Sparkle with Irene Cara and Lonette McKee came first. Newcomer Sparks is solid here, and Houston ably blends dramatic disappointment with comic outrage, while also delivering a show-stopping rendition of the gospel standard “His Eye Is On the Sparrow”—a powerfully sad reminder of the late singer's amazing voice. Recommended [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Salim Akil, “A Tribute to Whitney Houston” (20 min.), “A Dream Come True: Bringing the Story to the Big Screen” (18 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Sparkle & Shine” on the cast (16 min.) and “A Sparkling Performance” on music, choreography, and costumes (16 min.), the “Celebrate” music video by costars Houston and Jordin Sparks, an extended performance of “Hooked On Your Love” by Sparks, and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a solid remake.] (K. Fennessy)