some things made it worth seeing, but I am just not a fan of musicals

Rating: 6/10 (9 December 2007)

Before you read the rest of this review, you should know that I have never really liked musicals (except for the Beatles' movies and "West Side Story"). Therefore, if you really like musicals, you might as well just stop reading my review and find a review by a fan of musicals. But if you choose to learn what I think of "Dreamgirls", then here's what I say. While the movie does a good job in looking at some of the things involving the music of the era - such as white people co-opting black music and sanitizing it - I just don't believe in telling true stories as musicals. It gets a little tiresome to have a song every couple of minutes, even if the songs express people's frustration.
Granted, the movie is not a zero. Far from it. The cast members all do quite well. Probably best of all is Jennifer Hudson. Her character is the type with whom you don't want to mess (and her Oscar win was the perfect spit in the face to "American Idol"). Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover also do well, but this is really Jennifer Hudson's movie.
Still, this is not one that I would recommend above most others. I just think that they should have told a more straight-forward story about the Supremes.
John Lithgow also appears.