Unlike remakes that set out to redefine the classics for
a new audience - ones that actually reshape and modernise the oldies
and make them relevant for the next generation (films such as Star
Trek, Oceans 11 and King Kong instantly spring to mind) - Fame begs the
question "why remake a movie if you have nothing new to add to
it?". Sure, the new version of Fame has been tweaked to suit a fresher
audience. Instead of 80s style music and dance, we are presented with
hip-hop, rap and modern dance (and this is meant to make us go "wow, I
can really relate to this film!" - as if the 80s version would alienate
and bore today's youth). However, other than changing musical styles,
there is very little to be added to the original Fame. The characters
have been changed a little (although there isn't really any point in
doing so); some have switched gender, others have switched race. It
seems like this is just change for change's sake, rather than being
part of any artistic license. The film is even shot in a very similar
fashion; we are made to feel claustrophobic and up-close-and-personal
with the students in their very crammed corridors and classrooms.
Although the film brings nothing new to the table, it still makes for
an enjoyable 122 minutes. The dance and musical numbers are superb, and
the cast is certainly talented (even if the final performance bares a
slight resemblance to the final scene in any one of the High School
Musical films). There is a particularly breathtaking performance by
Will & Grace's Meagan Mullally - which is as surprising as it is
brilliant. The extended edition also includes an extra 15 minutes of
dance sequences. However, the film jumps through the fours years far
too quickly for us to get a real grip on the characters. This could
have been because there are just too many main characters for the film
to spend enough time exploring each of them. That said, one would think
that this film's desired audience would just go out and hire the
original Fame if they wanted to see it. Simply changing the soundtrack
doesn't make a film any more relevant for today's youth. It takes more
than that. It takes reanalysis, and a lot more reworking than Fame's
writers were willing to do. DVD EXTRAS
A few goodies on offer here: deleted scenes, music video, character profiles and "The Dances of FAME Featurette".
Conclusion:
Movie 80% Extras: 60%
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