Sparkle
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Metascore
55 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critics What's this?

User Score
5.5 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 6 Ratings

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  • Starring: Carmen Ejogo, Derek Luke, Jordin Sparks, Mike Epps, Whitney Houston
  • Summary: Sparkle tells the story of the title character; Sparkle, the youngest of three sisters and a music prodigy who struggles to becomes a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. Sparkle is from an affluent Detroit area, naive to the unexpected experiences her new life will bring as she and her two sisters blossom into a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era. During her journey, Sparkle endures the trials and tribulations of fame but fights to rise through the ranks of the music business. "Sparkle" is set in the late 1960s when Detroit was the music mecca of America. (Tristar Pictures)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 26
  3. Negative: 2 out of 26
  1. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Kevin C. Johnson
    Aug 17, 2012
    88
    Energetic, colorful and packed with strong performances and musical numbers good enough to get by, Sparkle beams brightly.
  2. Boxoffice Magazine
    Reviewed by: Sara Maria Vizcarrondo
    Aug 16, 2012
    60
    The shadow of Whitney Houston's stardom and crushing recent death hang heavy over this midrange movie that promises its female audience at least three good cries during its somewhat overlong run time.
  3. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Courtney Shea
    Aug 16, 2012
    38
    Anyone who has seen "Dream Girls," "What's Love Got To Do With It?" or even "The Doors" will find themselves in familiar (if inferior) territory here.

See all 26 Critic Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 2 out of 3
  1. ceddieced
    9
    What a great movie!! I loved the story!! Always step out on faith was basically the theme and the director was really good he caught all the drama!!Whitney was great in her role..i was floored when she sung "His Eyes Is On The Sparrow" absolutely a tear jerking tour DE force!!!!!! bt Mike Epps & sister were impeccable in this film both deserve Oscar nominations… Expand
  2. JordanMarie23
    2
    I'm gonna be honest, I did not love this movie. The camera angles were all off and the acting was at best mediocore. Jordin Sparks really should stick with singing. Not to mention the awkward makeout scenes, which make everyone uncomfortable. The real star of this fim is the actress who played Sister. She makes this fim a little more tolerable.… Expand
  3. GreatMartin
    2
    The remake of “Sparkle” is not a film to see if; 1) you want to remember Whitney Houston at her best 2) you have seen either the Broadway production of “Dreamgirls” or 3) you have seen the movie version of “Dreamgirls”. Don’t get me wrong as Whitney Houston isn’t bad, or embarrassing, but she sings only one song which is near the end of the film. In the rest of the film her hair is mostly in curlers, not to mention she is a strict no nonsense church going G-d fearing formidable mother who walks around with a sour face though she is suppose to have found the Lord after tasting some fame. The last few minutes of “Sparkle” she is dressed to the nines and all smiles but there is no sparkle to Ms. Houston. You would be better off seeing “The Bodyguard” , “Waiting To Exhale”, “The Preacher’s Wife and “Cinderella” or going to Youtube and watching her sing her many hits. She sings “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” in a church setting and her voice, appropriately, shows the strain of her last decade. Also people will read too much into many of the things she says in the movie. For the first hour of the film I thought I was watching a third rate version of “Dreamgirls” with my comparing the characters in “Sparkle” to their counterparts in the movie version of the former. Yes, there is Mike Epps playing the Eddie Murphy role and Carmen Ejogo could have stepped in for Beyonce. We have the three girls doing a Diana Ross and the Supremes act not to mention the guy who believes in them and, yes, it takes place in Detroit, with references to Motown, along with Martin Luther King and let’s not forget the riots which aren’t shown in this film. Of course, because it is in that era we have to have the over sequined dresses, the stilted choreography and ‘that Motown sound’. In the last 45 minutes the screenplay veers off but we still having the big star comedian melting down on stage and the unknown becoming a star in a far fetched almost last minute concert. Playing the 3 sisters are Jordin Sparks (Sparkle) who really doesn’t have a chance to prove anything regarding being an actress, Carmen Ejogo (Sister) who comes through with a mostly solid performance and Tika Sumpter (Delores) stealing every scene she is in and introduces the Afro to a suppose in the know crowd. Mike Epps as Satin, Derek Luke as the group’s manager and a love interest for one of the sisters and Omari Hardwick, as Sister’s first boyfriend, are there for the females and give strong support. The directing, by Salin Akil and the screenplay by Mara Brock Akil, are as haphazard as the new songs, written by various composers including Jordin Sparks, and are easily forgettable. The best song, and singer, is Nina Simone’s recording of “Feeling Good” from 1965!… Expand

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