FAME 1980                          FAME 2009

The
film of Fame, made in 1980, had a score that became a high rated
soundtrack with number one songs that had everyone singing them and
made a vocal star of Irene Cara. The score of the 2009 film just lays
there in spite of using two songs from the first film and adding two
standards that are done very poorly while the songs written for the
film are forgettable as soon as they are over.

In
1980 you became involved with the characters from the gay kid coming
out to the girl, unknowingly pulled into a porno shoot. The first film
spilled all over the school, out into the streets seemingly unable to
contain itself while the newest film has no where to go and doesn't.

In
1980 the Times Square was 'down and dirty' with prostitutes, drug
sellers and addicts, homeless people, alcoholics, 'dirty' book stores,
gay bars, etc., and now that same area is known as having become
'Disneyfied'. In 1980 the film, Fame, had drugs while now a kid has a
couple of drinks, throws up and will never drink again. In 1980 there
was an impromptu dance in the lunch class and outside that stopped
traffic and had the theatre rocking while now there is an impromptu
dance in lunch class that just had bad choreography except for one tap
sequence.

The original film dealt with
racial, gay, teenage pregnancy, problems that all schools are faced
with while, according to the new film, it seems the biggest problem
might be a kid who won't be a good dancer.

Of
the 'teenagers' in the first film we may only remember Irene Cara and,
possibly, Gene Anthony Ray while Debbie Allen made a big hit as a
teacher as did Anne Meara. In this new film I doubt if any of the
'kids' will be remembered, or recognized, but the adults, such as
Debbie Allen, now playing the principal, and Kelsey Grammer, Charles S. Dutton, Megan Mullally and Bebe Neuwirth will all be familiar with the only one doing a good job is Neuwirth though if Grammer had a bigger role he would have made more of an impression. Mullally sings, and ruins, one of the standard songs.

The
choreography is pretty bad except for a dance off that should have been
longer while the music, including rap, is instantly forgettable. The
less said about the direction, or lack of, editing,writing the better.

I strongly suggest you get the DVD of the original Fame movie and skip seeing this one even on cable.