The tunes, including one that’s reminiscent of the Who’s Baba O’Reilly, are all equally catchy. Sure, maybe a cynical producer shouted “ we need something like Pitch Perfect’s Cups!” from behind his desk, but that style of cynicism is no match for Aubrey Peeples’ sunny vocalizations. These scenes are preposterous in a movie that was already ridiculous, but it gets us to wonderful moments like the gang breaking into song at the Santa Monica pier, using stray garbage as makeshift instruments. (But not left to her sister Kimber … but let’s not think too much on that.) But the film also stays determined to mirror the source material – and that’s how we end up on a late-night mission looking for clues to assemble a hologram-projecting robot, a legacy gift left to Jerrica by her dad. On the one hand, it’s a rags-to-riches story of fame in the music business, albeit a chaste, family-friendly one. Photograph: c.Everett Collection/RexĪt the one-hour mark, Chu’s film experiences a curious split. Jem! AKA Jem and the Holograms TV series. But when Jerrica’s heartfelt solo acoustic tune gets uploaded to social media it gets the attention of an all-powerful (and maybe untrustworthy?) record executive, a deliciously scene-stealing Juliette Lewis. She and her sisters (one biological, the other two adopted) live with their aunt ( Molly Ringwald) and spend their time poking around on their phones, putting on retro outfits and playing in a garage band.

Jerrica Benton (Aubrey Peeples) narrates a YouTube clip, explaining how she became an overnight internet sensation. “Truly Outrageous” is a stretch, but “Mildly Engaging” isn’t much of a tagline. This movie sure means well, and it’s just entertaining enough to (slightly) slip off the shackles of the great cultural conformity factory it ultimately represents. The music is catchy, the costumes are dazzling, the friendships are sweet and Rio (Ryan Guzman), the protective older boy who eventually falls in love with our lead character, is soooooo cuuuuuuute. But those are all big words that have no impact on its intended audiences. The moralizing is omnipresent, the script is desultory and its understanding of the way business and media work is positively jejune. B ased on the 1980s cartoon produced by toy manufacturer Hasbro, Jon M Chu’s updated, live-action film adaptation is by no means anything you’d call a great film.

Jem and the holograms video game