SPARKLE is excellent.  That is not a biased statement because Whitney Houston and some of my favorite stars are in the film.  I say it is excellent because SPARKLE fills this wall to wall void in filmmaking where characters are wholesome with realistic goals that everyone can relate to.  THE DARK KNIGHT is certainly a great film but how many of us are billionaires with extensive fighting experience and cars that can fly?  In SPARKLE, a remake of the 1976 classic, we are taken on a ride with Emma's (Whitney Houston) three daughters as they do whatever they have to do to make it on the stage in a turbulent 1960's Detroit.  In the original version, the girls are trying to push through in a more vicious Harlem and their lives are much tougher, but this SPARKLE presents new hurdles that the family must overcome.  From abusive men, tempting situations and the normal ills of entertainment, viewers are provided an inside look at one family trying to balance life, God, and reality.  In some ways it is a film for all young ladies and men that dream of grabbing the mic and blasting their hearts to the masses.

There were a few things that really caught my attention and held it like the wardrobe used for that time period.  Big patterns and heavily ingrained designs that send strong messages really stood out. Jordin Sparks managed to wear everything well and it added to the fact that despite being the baby girl, all along she was the true star.  But more so than the wardrobe, the acting and believability was solid from all the performers. 

Whitney simply nails the role of the over-protective mother, hell-bent on making sure her daughters don't fall into the trap of the Hollywood hype.  When she first appears on screen, you are appreciative of the older Whitney walking around in her old robe, slippers and laying down the law to her daughters that this is how it's going to be. And yes, she has a cameo delivering that voice at the perfect moment.  It was a nice parting gift from a singer/actress that always gave more than what she had to.  And now that she is gone, she delivers a solid performance and ice-cold instructions to all that want to walk that path to fame.

To whoever is listening, take the breaks off of Mike Epps right now and let that man run freely in delivering us the biopic on Richard Pryor.  In SPARKLE, Epps proves he can be funny as hell and still deliver the dramatic edge to make you take notice. Abusive, too opinionated and psychotic, Epps is solid as a rock.