Grade: B
Even if you have never played with the dolls or seen the original cartoon that aired from 1985 to 1988, “Jem and the Holograms” will still leave you with a feeling of nostalgia.
“Jem and the Holograms” opened in theaters Oct. 23. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film is based on a line of dolls from Hasboro and a cartoon of the same name that were popular in the 1980s.
The movie tells the story of Jerrica Benton, played by Aubrey Peeples, a talented songwriter and singer whose shy nature keeps her from pursuing her interests as a career despite protests from her sister Kimber, played by Stefanie Scott, and foster sisters Aja and Shana, played by Hayley Kiyoko and Aurora Perrineau, respectively.
When Kimber publishes a video Jerrica recorded of an original song under the pseudonym Jem to her YouTube page, Jerrica becomes an Internet superstar and forms a band with her sisters under Starlight Enterprises CEO Erica Raymond, played by Juliette Lewis. With the help of their handler Rio, played by Ryan Guzman, the girls go on a journey to find the remaining pieces of Jerrica and Kimber’s father’s last invention and help Jerrica finally become comfortable in her own skin.
For the most part, I rather liked “Jem and the Holograms.” It has a plot that is centered on teenage girls working to build each other up instead of tearing one another down, and the music is thankfully centered on something other than romance or even boys in general.
The focus on the relationship between the girls and their desire to create music that has substance and on allowing Jerrica a moment to gain some closure over her father’s passing added depth to the film.
The music is catchy and a great deal of fun, even though it won’t be landing on any Billboard charts anytime soon.
However, there is one issue with the film.
The issue is the fact that the director felt it needed to include a love story between Jem and Rio. With such a strong focus on the unity among the sisters, it seemed rather unnecessary to worry about anything involving romantic relationships. However, it was the least important aspect of the film, which I appreciated a great deal.
While “Jem and the Holograms” certainly is not going to be up for any awards, it provides an entertaining way to spend the afternoon.
