Short of Spectacular
by Iñigo C. Pieraz on November 7, 2009
Spectacular! is Nickelodeon’s direct response to Disney’s phenomenally successful High School Musical series. Almost everything–from the story to the songs– feels eerily familiar. A few minutes into the film, however, it becomes clear that Spectacular! is far from your ordinary, run-of-the-mill high school story.
Spectacular! tells the story of Nikko Alexander (Nolan Gerard Funk, X-Men 2), a hotshot, cocky high school student who fronts his own rock band. However, when his rock band has had enough of his attitude, they quickly kick him out, much to Nikko’s chagrin.
Then enters bubbly choirgirl Courtney Lane (Tammin Sursok). She offers Nikko the lead spot in her show choir—a singing group that is a cross between a high school choir and a dance group. Nikko gives her a chance, but when he sees them perform a so-bad-it’s-good version of “Eye of the Tiger,” Nikko quickly and unapologetically declines. When money issues arise, however, he is forced to join the group anyway.
Surprising even himself, he finds the show choir an enjoyable activity, so much that he commits to helping them win the show choir national grand championship. Along the way, he and Courtney fight and bicker over which direction to take the show choir: Courtney wants a perfectly-choreographed routine, complete with jazz hands and glitter, whereas Nikko wants a cool routine punctuated by funky dance and gymnastics moves.
But when Nikko scores a once-in-a-lifetime audition with a top music executive that happens to be on the same day as the show choir national grand championships, he is forced to make an important decision: does he honor his promise and help his now-beloved show choir, or does he follow his old passion, and go with the audition?
Comparisons to Disney’s High School Musical are inevitable. The stories of both films mirror each other so much that there seems to be very few differences between them. Much like High School Musical, there is nothing new or groundbreaking about the music presented in Spectacular!. The songs are catchy and easy to sing along to.
The dance numbers that accompany most of the songs are pretty incredible. Compared to High School Musical’s carefully choreographed and perfectly-staged dance numbers, Spectacular’s dance numbers feel more vivacious. There is an unrefined, natural quality to them that makes them a joy to watch. A rooftop dance number, in particular, is even reminiscent of musical numbers from films of the 1960s and 1970s.
Whereas High School Musical is set in an unrealistic, vanilla world where no conflict ever arises, Spectacular’s story is more grounded in reality. It tackles issues that are more realistic and less superficial, with characters that are imperfect and easy to relate with.
It is this sense of reality that elevates Spectacular beyond your usual teeny-bopper fare. When Nikko’s older brother Stavros talks about the difficulty of having to raise his little brother on his small salary, Spectacular! displays a level of intense maturity that movies of this type rarely, if at all, show.
The acting is solid all-around. Gerard Nolan Funk gives a fine performance as the angry yet charismatic Nikko Alexander. His voice is surprisingly strong; it’s got both power and a distinct rasp that lends credence to his rock persona.
The real find in Spectacular!, however, is Hollywood newcomer Tammin Sursok. She possesses a sweet vulnerability reminiscent of actresses much older than her. At the same time, there is a spunk and natural vivaciousness that makes her so much fun to watch on-screen. At the very least, she is a better singer, actress, and dancer that any of pop music’s current princesses.
Unfortunately, Spectacular! does run into some pretty important issues. First, it suffers from a clear lack of originality. Within the first five minutes, it becomes fairly easy to guess where the entire movie will be heading.
Screenwriter James Krieg (Monk) provides us with plenty of clever lines and funny jokes–but no surprises at all. The story is utterly formulaic, and very little is done to break this formula. Not even the film’s novel sense of realism can save it from its predictability.
In addition, the film lacks a clear, comprehensible focus. Often, it strays into unnecessary subplots that take away from the film’s main story. One subplot, regarding a rock star-turned-music teacher, is so out of left field that it feels forced and unnecessary.
Director Robert Iscove (She’s All That) does an unsteady job of literally keeping the spotlight where it should be. The result, then, is a film that drags on pointlessly when it really should really be blazing forward.
A lack of originality and focus is what makes Spectacular! far from actually being spectacular. However, there are plenty of great qualities that make it worth watching. Most notably, the film’s engaging, realistic characters and dance numbers are able to elevate it from films that mirror both its stories and its music. Although Spectacular! doesn’t quite live up to its name, it’s still worth singing and dancing-along to.
Spectacular! will be showing in the Nickelodeon Channel all throughout September and October.
