Hype Works! Excessively Overrated Movie Screams: 'Wait for the DVD!'

Rating: 5/10 (29 December 2006)

A brief comment on Bill Condon's "Dreamgirls":
The Hollywood Hype Machine has won. With over 100 comments just 4 days after the film's opening, I normally wouldn't care about adding my own. But it's very alarming to see how excessively overrated this movie is. It has a few entertaining moments and one amazing vocal number at best so I seriously question the multiple nominations and critical praises piled on it. Sure, the Golden Globes isn't really Cannes or the New York Film Critics but as the supposed predictor of that American institution called the Oscars it leaves a big question mark on its credibility as an award-giving body. Could it be that some got too carried away by Jennifer Hudson's Cinderella story? Hudson's (as Effie White) number "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is monumental, earth-shattering, but the rest of the movie is so mediocre even this level of greatness barely makes it enough reason to watch the movie. Some of the songs are downright cheesy (in a bad waya very bad cringe-worthy way, esp. that horrible 'family' song). Hudson is an amazing singer and I've been a fan since "American Idol", too, but does her acting deserve a nomination? A showcase role plus an amazing singer doesn't equal good acting. By 'showcase role' I mean it's good for showing off 'acting' but when you take a close look at it, it's but a 2-dimensional prototype, a caricature: the wronged, occasionally 'crazy', strong black woman. It's not that often we see minority actors shine in big budget Hollywood. Can we at least be original? Charismatic Eddie Murphy, handsome leading man type Keith Robinson, and, yes, even that eye candy named Beyonce occasionally make this film tolerable but there's so much empty hype to swallow neither these three nor Hudson can save it. Don't believe the Publicity Machine, this film doesn't even make it as a good popcorn movie. "Dreamgirls" is middle-of-the-road, likable in parts at best, but ultimately a good example of an over-promoted Hollywood product which doesn't deliver as promised. Five out 10.