Pleasantly Surprised...

Rating: 8/10 (31 March 2013)

I saw this movie expecting the worst, but was pleasantly surprised. It has to be one of the... least annoying... musicals in recent years.
Usually, when a pop-star is involved in a movie, you automatically assume that it's going to be a flop, and it usually is, but "Burlesque" was an exception.
Cher is actually very good. Christina Aguilera is not a great actress, but she was not half as bad as, for example, fellow pop stars Britney Spears in "Crossroads", and Jessica Simpson in... pretty much anything she's associated with.
While the plot is very clichéd and predictable, it's still moderately entertaining. It's a very eye-catching and polished movie, with lots of gorgeous costumes and some great singing from Cher and Christina.
I thought the antagonists should've been developed a bit better, which would have improved the movie significantly, but... oh, well. Actually, the same goes for Christina Aguilera's character. They didn't bother making her likable or at least less... one-dimensional; it's only her natural charisma that carries her through.
Also, the supposedly-romantic scenes could've been better -- they were predictable, unexciting, and forced.
Yes, this movie imitates elements of "Chicago", "Show Girls", "Cabaret", "Coyote Ugly", and probably some other movies, but it really didn't bother me much.
Anyway, I think this movie is worth seeing -- even if you're not a fan of either Cher or Christina Aguilera. Unlike most movies starring pop singers, this one is actually watchable, so...