"Coyote Ugly" meets "Chicago" with Christina Aguilera & Cher

Rating: 6/10 (24 March 2017)

Released in 2010, "Burlesque" is a drama/musical about a bored small town girl (Christina Aguilera) who moves to the big city to better her life and, hopefully, do something with her great talents. She gets a waitress job at a nightclub and eventually talks the owner (Cher) into allowing her to perform. Cam Gigandet plays the potential beau while Peter Gallagher appears as the club owner's ex-husband and part owner. Stanley Tucci plays the likable stage manager while Kristen Bell & Julianne Hough are on hand as dancers. Eric Dane plays the arrogant mogul who wants to purchase the club and build condos.
My title blurb says it all: "Burlesque" combines the plot of 2000's "Coyote Ugly" with elements of 2002's "Chicago," particularly the curvy women and burlesque dancing sequences. While it failed to achieve the moderate success of "Coyote Ugly" at the box office, it's a significantly better movie. Although both films have the familiar formula plot, "Burlesque" has a more compelling story with a more dynamic cast and superior song & dance. It also has better women, as far as curvy appeal goes (with the arguable exception of Piper Perabo, the women in "Coyote Ugly" had the non-curvy shape of 12 year-old boys). Someone criticized that Aguilera was too "old" for the role. Poppycock. She was 29 during filming and easily passed for someone in her late teens/early twenties. Despite her alluring powers, she had the youthful/winsome/innocent vibe to pull off the part.
There's a surprising peripheral plot about how homosexual relationships start with 'sex' and proceed from there.
The film runs 119 minutes and was shot entirely at Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, California. It was written & directed by Steve Antin.
GRADE: B-