Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)It must be rough to revive a film franchise that offers no opportunity for mainstream merchandising via toys, lunchboxes, and backpacks. The lack thereof probably torpedoes a good many films that deserve to be made but just aren't "commercially viable" due to a lack of avenues for alternate profit. Take Fame, for example. Back when the original film debuted there was a television spin-off that followed shortly thereafter. With the remake of last year, there are similar talks of an accompanying television series, but there's also a full-court press into a new industry that didn't possess nearly the steam that it does now: direct-to-DVD (or video, back then) workout features. This new incarnation of Fame has done just that, and well, the results are rather ho-hum.
Broken into three distinct parts, the routine is taught by the three main characters (Kristy Flores, Kherington Payne, and Paul McGill) of the new film with varying degrees of success and competency.
The first portion has the best pacing of all, never going too fast or too slow. Yet, the preliminarily well-paced aspect of the DVD makes the successive two thirds seem ridiculously fast and difficult in comparison. It almost begs you to repeat the first section over and over until you feel you've progressed to a certain level of expertise that you're ready for the faster and clearly more difficult second and third parts.
It's not just the speed though. The styles of dance change erratically from one instructor to the next instead of providing a disc with a constant sensibility that gradually increases in speed and difficulty. What we get is three different styles at three different speeds by three different "instructors" with noticeably different levels of patience for instructing an audience they can't see. If changing styles from one section to the next doesn't throw you off, then the speed and technicality disparities will.
There's enough repetition that you should be able to keep up, but don't be surprised (or disappointed) if you have to repeatedly hit rewind so you don't fall hopelessly behind. The DVD's cover is wholly misleading when it tells you that it has "4 Fun Dance Routines" as what it really means is that it has three, and then it puts those three back-to-back to make a "fourth", but who they think they're fooling, I'm not sure. One plus one plus one equals three, last I checked.
They cashed in on the new film's popularity(?) really quickly and churned out this really cynical fitness product, which also takes aim at that market share willing to lay down $10 for an hour-long exercise routine starring their current pop culture idol. Some people enjoy Jillian Michaels barking orders, others prefer the young nubile bodies of a pseudo-hit blockbuster.
You can easily do better than this if you're looking for an at-home dance instructor or a way to shed a few pounds from the comfort of your living room. With that goal though, you have the pick of a shockingly large litter to choose from at your local retailer, so why you'd choose this rather weak Fame-driven product could only be justified if you went absolutely ga-ga for the new film and its youngsters. Otherwise, you'll be smart to avoid it.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Fame: Dance Workout
Step onto the dance floor and give it your all with this exclusive dance workout inspired by the hit movie, FAME! Now you can learn to move like the newest students at the New York Academy of Performing Arts with dance steps and the song from the new movie. Get fit and get your groove on with this '80s favorite. What are you waiting for? Now is your time for FAME!
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