This past Friday audiences around the globe were invited to enter the fabulous world of the popular Bratz line of toys at their local movie theater. For the first time, the four friends Cloe, Jade, Sasha, & Yasmin broke out of their boxes and stepped onto the silver screen hoping to get across the following meaningful message: being true to yourself is just as important as the color of the heels you are wearing. Unfortunately not many people accepted the invite and the film entered the U.S. box office at number ten with a devastating opening gross of only $4.2 million. The disappointing total backed up bad reviews written by most critics. I myself have now the seen film and am here to set the record straight: ‘Bratz’ is not the atrocity people are claiming it be at all. It’s actually more fun than the other toy movie adaptation released just last month; ‘Transformers’.
The fun begins with the girls awakening to their first day of high school helping each other decide what to wear via webcam. Upon arrival they take the school by storm climbing to the heights popularity with ease. It’s then that Meredith, the principals daughter, played by the talented Chelsea Staub intervenes letting the foursome know they each must hang out only with their corresponding clique. Shortly afterwards they are separated from each other even after attempting to remain together. Fast forward two years where they are now juniors. It appears the evil Meredith has gotten her way seeing as how the girls don’t even say hello to each other when passing one another in the halls. With the former best friends forever permanently apart all looks to be hopeless. Their only chance to be friends and rule the school once again is to realize what’s really important before time runs out.
I bet you didn’t expect the movie was going to have that level of reality did you? Probably more shocking was the chemistry and performances from the girls. In the trailers they seem just as hollow and plastic as the dolls their characters are based on. Oh, how they showed they were certainly nothing even close. The best of the four is hands down Nathalia Ramos as Yasmin. Initially I thought since Yasmin is Hispanic and Ramos doesn’t exactly look so it would be an issue. After only about three minutes into the film it was obvious why casting directors Dorothy Koster and Joey Paul chose the young lady for the role. I’m telling you now, definitely watch for her in the future because big things are going to happen for her.
Aside from the acting, the addition of serious issues like Ian Nelson’s character Dylan being def and the heartbreaking on-screen aftereffects of Sasha’s parents divorce really established a solid and emotional tone for the film. Screenwriter Susan Jansen took what could’ve been but a mindless, teenybopper drama with no backbone whatsoever and made it a worthwhile delight guaranteed to make you laugh and cry. I honestly was surprised just how good the storyline was.
However, if I had to mention one thing that did disappoint me about ‘Bratz’ it would be Avril Lavigne’s song ‘Girlfriend’ (which is featured in its trailer) not being included in the film itself. It really would have fit perfectly too in one of the many scenes involving Cloe and Cameron. (Meredith’s boyfriend) This isn’t too big of a deal though. There are after all twenty-one other great tracks by artists like Ashlee Simpson, NLT, & of course the Bratz.
So there you have it, a real review of what is no doubt one of this year’s most underrated films. ...A review about as real as the bloated head, noseless, slut-looking dolls themselves... I didn’t think any film would fall lower than Lindsay’s Lohan mind numbing “thriller“ ‘I Know Who Killed Me‘, but I’ll be damned, ‘Bratz’ did it. Congratulations to Lionsgate and Sean McNamara for correctly demonstrating why making movies for profit is such a bad idea. Sadly, this will not serve as a warning to other studios. The same thing has happened many times and will continue in the future. The only thing that will change are the ways trailers for such awful films are edited as the studios try to edit them more cleverly attempting to lure unsuspecting moviegoers into wasting another $10.
OVERALL RATING: 