mekjd

17 May 2012

Truly Joyful!

We could use a story of triumph over adversity these days, particularlyone with singing, dancing, and romancing. There's an undercurrent oflegacy running between Cher and Christina Aguilera, and that adds tothe spectacle of big voices, big costumes, and big love. Whoeverdesigned the costumes should receive many awards. The same for thechoreography. The musical numbers were all very sexy for being lessthan over the top. The men's costuming, with vests and bowler hats, wasvery good: the band rocked. Of note were the photo histories of burlesque used as props, remindingthe audience of the prominence this art form once held. And there wasjust enough of a tip of the hat to Cabaret to send a signal about thosetimes and our times without being heavy handed. In the end, girl finds stardom and love. Devotion to art triumphs overcommercialism. In short, the world not as it is but as it might be forthe brief time one is at the movies. Just a delight to remember thedays when big production numbers were, well, big productions. I leftthe theater feeling, "now that is a movie!" This is one to see on thebig screen and then tuck away for inspiration as needed.

17 May 2012

Great movie, great price

This review is from: Burlesque (DVD) This movie came brand new in its original packaging at a great price. Why pay retail? Also came within a matter of days--in less time than promised!

Bruce Diones

11 May 2012

Has the glitz and allure of a Victoria's Secret ad. What it doesn't have is an imaginative reinvention of the show-biz clichés that have so adamantly inspired it.

Thierry Frisch

10 May 2012

mow your lawn, tidy your apartment, do anything but don't watch this

I won't write a full film review as watching it really already cost meway too much time of my life. I could have used that time much betterhad i peeled potatoes for two hours.I have rarely seen a movie with such a predictable story. Filled withstereotypes from the beginning to the end:"beautiful" small town waitress flees to LA, goes to a club, picks up atray and immediately has a job as a waitress only to become the star ofthe club after some time... the American dream...Pathetic story, no twists, flat and boring, nothing happens apart theusual and so often seen Hollywood-crisis with the "super beau barmanbut actually really a songwriter and finally ali's boyfriend" (now thatwas a big surprise...). Should have been sold as a Christina Aguileraconcert but not worth the term "film" or movie".55 000 000$ for this? oh gosh...

08 May 2012

burlesque

This review is from: Burlesque (DVD) got it quickly in excellent condition.I have to say, I bought this one because Cher was in it and I love her. But the movie was fabulous, the whole cast and music great.

Jake Wilson

07 May 2012

The images are murky and off-putting, the wisecracks fall flat, and the musical numbers aren't stylish or excessive enough to be memorable.

06 May 2012

looooooooooooved it!

This review is from: Burlesque (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (Blu-ray) so i bought this movie expecting it not to shine because of all the negative critic reviews, but when i watched it i was loving it! this is such a great musical! it is fun and delivers to exactly what it is a FUN MUSICAL! i was very impressed by christina's debut acting skills and loved all the other cast as well. the make up, the costumes, the dance routine,the music, the glitz the glam, so much fun! with blu ray all the details of the make up and costumes are so clear it makes it that much inviting. so if you love great music great talent and feel good movie i highly recomend this!

billybillos

06 May 2012

A Must see!!! Christina is the best choice for this!

great film!!! you really have a good time watching it!!! Christina isthe best choice for this!!! great voice, artist! Cher is also great asthe whole cast!!! i loved the music,the settings and the show!!! greatDANCERS! soundtrack is awesome as both Christina and Cher are greatartists! worths to see a film like this..musicals are always so specialand a state of art.besides i am a big fan of Christina's big voice andtalent!!!It's a passion, An emotion, It's a fashion Burlesque It'll move you,going through you, so do what I do Burlesque All ladies, confident,flaunt it Boys throw it up if you want it Can you feel me? Can you feelit? It's burlesque

rajah524-3

05 May 2012

Made "Showgirls" Seem Relatively Intriguing

I usually abide by that Beverly Hills Player maxim, "Reward or ignore;never punish." But sometimes I just =have= to vomit. So shoot me. Can we say "erratic?" Can we say "histrionic?" Dare we say "gay?" And I'm not even talking about the movie yet. The movie, at least,actually has some moments, mostly when Cher is actually allowed to=be=... like Cher, as well as when Stanley Tucci is on screen.But some of the reviews here (as is often the case with "diva flicks"like this) are what I'd call "hopefully projective" (of circumstancesthat don't actually exist), "delusionally enthusiastic," or maybe justconfused and commenting on the wrong film. Aguilera is still in Disneyland. She =is= a fine (if over-reaching,even over-killing) vocal technician and stage performer, but willfulreality suspension will be required to buy her characterization. Whichis probably the director's fault, as much as her acting coach's. (Ihear Stella Adler barking, "Stop ACTING!")The same director wrote the script (and evidently liked his own work),so I get why it's as cheesy as it is. This movie actually =did= make "Showgirls" look intriguing by contrast.(I would never have watched this and did manage to get a few otherthings done while cutie pie had it on. Even she looked perplexed at theend.)I do appreciate how valuable the premium channels are now. We get tosee that we are not the only people who bat about .250 in life.

04 May 2012

If you combined "Cabaret" with "Chicago" and "Showgirls" this would be the result.

This multi-million dollar extravaganza is primarily a vehicle for former Mouseketeer Christina Aguilera which some support from Cher - and a GREAT turn by actor Stanley Tucci. Its aimed at the "under 30 set" to whom "Burlesque" represents, not the old American theatrical art form that combined striptease with bawdy comedy routines. This is "burlesque" for the new (well, its not so new) millennium. Written and directed by Steven Antin (not a veteran of movie musicals), the film can't decide if it wants to tell a real story or show highly-edited fast moving song and dance numbers, nearly all with Ms. A. Obviously Antin has seen Chicago as he films some of the staged numbers in a style similar to Director Rob Marshall. The plot - as scripted by Antin - is not much different from the disaster that was called "Showgirls". Showgirls had lots of nudity. Basically none here. The "partial nudity" mentioned in the MPAA rating at the beginning is a shot of bare MALE buttocks. I mention Cabaret above for two reasons: Alan Cumming appeared in Cabaret as well as in this film and he has one number "Jungle Berlin" which is in the style of the musical numbers in Cabaret. It's a great number - though highly edited in the film - and one of the few scenes Cumming gets to appear in here. Like most of the production numbers, this one is chopped up with the Director cutting away to other scenes. The only song I remember seeing performed straight through is Cher's solo on "The Last of Me", a number which is for Cher what "My Way" was for Sinatra. Luckily the "Jungle Berlin" number - though less than two minutes long - is presented complete as one of the six "entire song performances" in the bonus features. The other five are a mixed bag. First is a "dancers only" version of a one number with a repeating vocal-backed soundtrack that really gets boring after 30 seconds. Then there is a version of Sinatra's hit "That's Life" performed by Cumming, in full Gene Kelly mode, that was deleted from the film. The others include - thankfully - the unedited version of the erotic "Dr. Longjohn". The other bonuses include a Director's commentary track, a five-minute "blooper reel", and a six-minute "alternate opening" which basically rearranges the opening song.As I noted earlier - this is the modern version of burlesque, which means sexy dancing by gorgeous women - who never take their costumes off on stage. Well, there is one "fan dance" by Aguilera - exactly one hour into the film -but that's it. This is not a strip show. As a film directed to Ms. A fans - and Cher fans curious to see her again and sing that one big solo number - the film succeeds as a group of music videos. The script is banal but - thankfully - there is more singing than dialogue. Its entertaining to watch once. But you won't learn anything about "burlesque" by watching it.Steve Ramm"Anything Phonographic"

03 May 2012

Really Enjoyable

This review is from: Burlesque (Amazon Instant Video) I really liked this movie. The music is superb. The plot is predictable, but it's still very entertaining. It leaves you with a good feeling, and that's what I like about movies. I would recommend this movie to anyone, even guys. There are hot girls in provocative clothing, yet romance for women.

03 May 2012

Burlesque

This review is from: Burlesque (DVD) I love this movie. When I ordered it through Amazon I knew I would receive excellent service and I was not disappointed. My order was delivered within a few days and the DVD is exactly what I expected...perfect.Thank you for excellent service and quality! This movie is one of my favorites.[ASIN:B002ZG976U Burlesque]...the music, the acting the costumes; all top of the line. I'll watch this one over and over again. Is it possible to wear out a DVD?

30 April 2012

Very poor writting

The scenario could have been written by a Walt Disney production. It's predictable and near to stupid. But the entertainment is great, the singing impressive and it's great to see that Cher can still move her face...

30 April 2012

Burlesque - dancing, yea

This review is from: Burlesque (DVD) I loved the movie when I rented it now I want to have it for my library. If you love dance movies and feel good stories then this is for you.

christos_con17

29 April 2012

Better than expected

OK is impossible not to compare this film to Chicago or Nine. Nearly asgood as Chicago in my opinion, way better than the disappointing NineNot an epic musical but the music is great for 'burlesque' moodChristina is way better than expected. actually all of the cast didgreat some good dialogues although the plot is very predictableoverall. it was though difficult to understand the time (decade) thefilm is set. i am fan of such films therefore the 8. if i didn't likemusicals the rating would be lower i suppose. great musicalperformances by Christina and Cher choreography is good loved the scenewith the cookies ( you will see - no spoilers!)

28 April 2012

Critics Got This One Wrong

The reviews this movie has been getting is just one more reason why I don't pay any attention to them. I thought this movie was absolutely fabulous! I have been to the theater three times already to see it, and as soon as I'm done writing this review, will be purchasing my own copy. I always knew Christina Aguilera had a great voice, but being slightly older than her (lol) I never really bought any of her music. After seeing this movie, I became a huge fan. Her voice is without a doubt, one of the greatest of all time. Maybe Celine Dion, or Streisand can compare, but certainly not Gaga, Beyonce, Perry or any of the current reigning queens of pop. Its amazing that huge voice of hers comes out of such a little person! The costumes were awesome, the love story was adorable and I think Christina did just fine for her acting debut. She certainly was not as bad as the critics made her out to be. Kristin Bell was perfectly believable as the nasty Nicki and as for Cher, what can I say? Cher is Cher - a one and only. She looked GREAT and if I could get away with wearing the eye makeup she wore in that movie, I absolutely would! Stanley Tucci's character was hilarious and Eric Dane certainly lived up to his reputation as eye candy! I highly, highly recommend going to see this movie if you can. If not, buy your own copy - its certainly as good as Chicago, if not better in my opinion.

25 April 2012

wot a movie......

This review is from: Burlesque (DVD) OMG,I JUST LOVED THIS MOVIE,HAVE NOT STOPPED TELLING ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN.....SAW IT AT THE MOVIES ON THE WEEKEND,GOT HOME AND HAD TO PRE ORDER IT...........CAN'T WAIT TILL I GET IT....LOVED IT...WAS NOT EXPECTING TO ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID.....

25 April 2012

What a fun movie!

This review is from: Burlesque (DVD) Small town (Idaho) girl makes good by 'bullying' her way into a burlesque show owned and run by far more seasoned performer (Cher). Might sound a little lame, but what a fun movie!! You can absolutely forgive anything about the script because the performances are OUTSTANDING!! Most definitely a feel good movie with heart and humor. Oh and did I mention CHER was amazing, as always. This woman belongs in front of a camera. Excellent performances by all. Bravo and thank you! I bought it the minute my rental ended.

Michael Fargo

25 April 2012

Legit

Over the last several years/decades, we've had various artists attemptmusical comedy on film when they didn't, necessarily, have the talentto showcase in the film. It's almost killed the genre for me (whichdidn't have much going for it anyway).But when there is a legitimate talent to be featured or simplyvehicled, show me where to buy a ticket. The young Christina Aguilerahas nothing to prove vocally, but everything was riding on her abilityto act on screen and hold our interest between songs. As well, I'vealways found her performances physically static, while vocallyunimaginably executed, so when the trailer put her in a line of chorusgirls in a burlesque house (which is showing a rivival of sorts in SanFrancisco), I did have a question about whether she could becompelling. I shouldn't have worried and wonder why no one hasn'tgrabbed her before now and put her on the screen. She's mesmerizing andsurprisingly demure (which is not a problem she has in interviews ontalk shows); and when she mounts the stage she controls everyonewatching. Her dancing is quite acceptable and isn't accomplished in theediting room as recent filmed musicals have slipped less than talentedactresses over hurdles they clearly couldn't scale.The story in "Burlesque" is a trifle, and no one tries to apologize forthat. "Showgirls" tried to get around the limitations of this genre byadding scale and tawdriness and it only distanced us from any of thecharacters. The burlesque house here is modest, unapologetically copiedfrom the Broadway show/film "Cabaret," and the musical numbers scaledto a small stage that really's not much larger than an average filmhouse's proscenium. It's a lesson directors of future musicals for filmshould learn. Keep it scaled down and accessible; otherwise, theaudience and performers get overwhelmed and shut out. Here the talentof the dancers shines. The choreography is smart and sassy (as are thecostumes), and I couldn't wait for the next number…which we're given agenerous helping/selection of songs, all kept within the confines ofthe burlesque house.Is it revolutionary? No, but it's the best offering since "MoulinRouge," and I actually found this more appealing. I suspect the GoldenGlobes are going to eat this up, and that might give both Aguilera andCher a shot at an Oscar nomination.

24 April 2012

Burlesque

This review is from: Burlesque (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (Blu-ray) Great movie. I first saw it on the big screen and decided I had to have it when it was released. So much music it's like watching a concert. The sound on the Blu-Ray disk is great if you have the system to put it to the test.