Movie Review for Bratz: The Movie (2007)

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Review #496 of 365
Movie Review of Bratz: The Movie (2007) [PG] 110 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $8.25
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 4 August 2007
Time: 5:10 pm
DVD Release Date: 27 November 2007 (click date to purchase or pre-order)
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer

Soundtrack: Download now from Bratz - Bratz - or - order the CD below

Directed by: Sean McNamara ("Cake")
Written by: Susan Estelle Jansen (The Lizzie McGuire Movie) with story by Adam De La Peña and David Ellenberg

Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Logan Browning ("Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide") • Janel Parrish ("The O.C.") • Nathalia Ramos ("Arrested Development") • Skyler Shaye (The Legend of Simon Conjurer ) • Chelsea Staub ("J.O.N.A.S!") • Anneliese van der Pol ("That's So Raven") • Malese Jow ("Unfabulous") • Ian Nelson ("What Goes On") • Stephen Lunsford (The Problem with Percival ) • Jon Voight (Transformers)

Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
With big expectations to compete favorably with the nearly simultaneous release of Disney's High School Musical 2 in the genre of attracting, young, female, crowds to theatres in an August populated mostly by the films demographically targeted at traditionally male viewers 13-22, were the Bratz people aware that Hairspray would also still be in theatres when they made this fine decision to release Bratz in early August?
"… spent too much on costumes and scenery and not enough on dialogue and story depth …"
Well, unfortunately, everything that the High School Musical(s) and Hairspray have, Bratz: The Movie either lacks completely or cannot compete with on any level (with the possible exception of costuming or lavish birthday party staging). It's not entirely for a lack of trying though. The director, Sean McNamara has assembled a likeable, decently talented cast to portray the Bratz dolls in live action. They are Sasha (Logan Browning), Jade (Janel Parrish), Yasmin (Nathalia Ramos), and Cloe (Skyler Shaye). The foursome lack the depth of résumé one might expect to headline a movie of this magnitude, and their lack of experience shows a bit too often. The story also, tries. The Bratz Pack show up as froshies to Carry Nation High School on their first day and totally violate student body president Meredith Dimly's lunch room clique assignments. They want to stay together as friends despite their disparate interests in areas of academic achievement or clubs. Actually, academic achievement is really only a concern for one and then as only half of her devotion with the other being fashion design. Of course, in a nation that continues to ingrain its youth with gross stereotypes and gender-biased rhetoric about the capabilities of young women, why would anybody want it any other way? [I would, that was supposed to represent obvious sarcasm but just in case!] So, they show up as clique busters at first, but quickly succumb to the cliques after all. Sad, but true, each girl becomes absorbed in her own thing and new friends. After two years, they are nearly split apart completely. The catalyst for bringing them back together would be the very same person intent on breaking them apart, Meredith Dimly (Chelsea Staub) who views them as a threat to her sovereignty over the school and school climate. As she never gives up trying to separate them and end their influence, she eventually goes too far and drives them back together. All of this leads to the ultimate stage off between Meredith and the Bratz with one being the victor in the story and the other being the victor when it comes to displaying real talent in a film. But, no more can be said about that as it would spoil the ending.

Not that it's entirely relevant, but it would seem a near miss if it weren't mentioned that there's something also atrocious about this line of toys and their manufacturers calling them Bratz in the first place. Brats, unless we are pronouncing it differently and talking the Wisconsin delicacy, as far as I know, are not good things. The term represents all of the worst qualities a kid can possess. And while a kid can get away with being a little bratty on occasion, being a full-fledged brat is not something for which any child should be striving. It is, therefore, odd and a mixed message to adopt the name to label this group of young women via the film. In other words, it is arguably not as clever as the toy company may have intended. When it comes, therefore, to be the title of this film, the real brat is not a member of The Bratz, but instead, Meredith who becomes the quintessential epitome of bratdom. So bratty is she, that to foil the plans of the real 'Bratz' she plans to hold a second sweet sixteen party in her honor (the first was two years ago at the height of her popularity). With MTV on site, an elephant, jugglers, aerialists, and clowns, the party is ridiculously ostentatious and overly pretentious. She's the worst example of everything most people would never want their children to become. And, ironically, she's portrayed by, far and away, the best performer and actress in the film, Chelsea Staub. So much better is Ms Staub, that despite the fact that she's not supposed to be doing this, she tends to steal scenes at every turn. In the big finalé number, honestly, she was worthy of the clear victory despite the egocentrism it exhibited. As for the male characters in the film, with the slight exception of Dylan (Ian Nelson) who plays a deaf football player, they are mostly token, lifeless roles—turn-about is fair play, but two wrongs don't make a right. Lastly, how many films are going to have to be made to offset the bumbling stereotypes brought about by Jon Voight's barely humorous portrayal of Carry Nation High School Principal Dimly?

The film tried too hard, spent too much on costumes and scenery and not enough on dialogue and story depth, and faces far too stiff levels of competition in Hairspray (a vastly superior musical film) and High School Musical 2 (running nearly non-stop on the Disney® Channel) which, even if it's not as good as the first one, is sure to drive zillions of the necessary demographics for this film to their television sets, instead. After 2006 seemed to be turning around films targeted at young girls in the right direction with Stick It and She's the Man, Bratz takes the genre back 20 meters.

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Other Projects Featuring Bratz: The Movie (2007)
Cast Members
Logan Browning • Janel Parrish • Nathalia Ramos
Skyler Shaye • Chelsea Staub • Anneliese van der Pol
Malese Jow • Ian Nelson • Stephen Lunsford
Jon Voight
Director
Sean McNamara
Writer
Susan Estelle Jansen
Review-lite Bratz: The Movie (2007) [max of 150 words]
Bratz: the Movie tried too hard, spent too much on costumes and scenery and not enough on dialogue and story depth, and faces far too stiff levels of competition in Hairspray (a vastly superior musical film) and High School Musical 2 (running nearly non-stop on the Disney® Channel) which, even if it's not as good as the first one, is sure to drive zillions of the necessary demographics for this film to their television sets instead. While the plot's initial message "you don't have to be in a clique to count" is a good one, it otherwise sends too many other mixed messages and utilizes too many negative stereotypes to be a particularly good role model film for young women. The cast is good, but the Bratz's thin résumés puts pressure on them to headline a film of this magnitude that they sometimes cannot handle. Chelsea Staub who plays the real brat of the film as the obnoxious and controlling high school student body president steal most of the show. In other words, at this point, see Hairspray instead.
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