What I loved most: Effie's pipes

What I really hated: Reminders of the Jackson 5

An entertaining film that explores the rise to stardom of the Supremes-like Dreamgirls in the 60s and 70s and charts the emotional fallout that accompanies such fortunes. The star of this movie is the music, mostly from the divas belting out ballads as though their lives depended on it, but also with an energetic contribution from Eddie Murphy adding some lively soul into the soundtrack. Jamie Foxx gives a suitably seedy account of the bands' manager who achieves success in business but not in love. The two men get the best part of the script and the ladies are left with somewhat undeveloped characters; however they croon and wriggle with enough conviction to compensate for that. The drama unfolds at a nifty pace that engages the attention throughout and leaves time to present the musical numbers in the space they deserve. No actual Motown classics in the soundtrack but much to enjoy here.

What I loved most: Soundtrack - One Night Only (Disco)

Not yet a wet dream, but Dreamgirls would make any female impersonator cum in their pants… or, err… pantyhose. The movie runs like a style and sound guide for drag queens with lungs enough to fill a dozen amphitheatres; in lip-synching perfection that is. Bangkok could be doing material from this two-hour ‘sing it, don’t say it’ fable for years, and I’m sure the tight T-shirted crowd that dominated the cinema would gladly lap it all up. For a moveecal (perhaps musical movies should be called that?), it’s not a bad investment. You don’t get a whole lot of choreography like Grease, Chicago, and the likes, but there’re enough retro feet movers and lovey tunes to raise goosebumps on eggshells. But the ballads aren’t really that catchy and the preachy lyrics made me squirm. The best track from the movie would be the disco version of One Night Only. It made my shoulders twitch. But not too much. Just in case my sequined pads slip out. Story-wise, it’s nice how Dreamgirls blurred the hero-villain line and how being weak is the strongest one can be. And Beyonce Knowles is just incredible to watch. Not her acting, but her fantastic body and looks. She’s so beautiful, so perfect and absolutely flawless! I’m just so bowled over by how unbelievably gorgeous she is. No, I don’t want to be her, I want to DO her! If I can have a dream girl, Beyonce No-less would be she. As for Jennifer Hudson, I was trying very hard to find proof to reconcile the fact that she won a Golden Globe for her supporting role. Maybe it’s the emptiness in her eyes that somehow made her facial expressions very flat, but an E Minor is what her voice is not. She’s got an amazing range and that girl can really scream, which became an earsore from an over-dramatic score. A solo album is probably in the making now that pre-marketing had been so successful. I’ll definitely buy it, ORIGINAL, if it’s out because Jennifer’s voice has so much talent. The other casts put up a pretty good performance, especially Anika Noni Rose. Her transition from girl-woman is very well done. Her character’s maturity in the movie is obvious to see, yet undetectable in its process. Which only meant one thing. Great acting. Eddie Murphy also put in a sensitive performance that made him suddenly human, and tired, and aged, which was what his character is, a has-been musical icon. However, his trademark toothy grin still sparkle more Nutty Professor than serious actor. Dreamgirls as a movie is entertaining for the first hour. After that, it’s rather draggy with too much singing (yes, there can be too much singing in a musical). Some of the show’s dialogue should just be said and not sung. This is a movie, not the musical that it was adapted from. Nonetheless, it’s not a bad watch… especially with Ms Knowles making every single cent darn worth it!

What I loved most: The many great songs of which 3 were nominated for the Oscars. Whoo hoo!

What I really hated: Pretty limited acting... But they still acted ok

This may be a pretty cliche plot yet I still think that it tells the truth that it's never to late to pursue your dreams, to find the courage to start over again. Especially love Beyonce's performance of "Listen"! Heart-wrenching, full of emotions! I appluad her for that!

What I loved most: Great musical direction

What I really hated: Nil

The story, which revolves around a trio called "The Dreams", is not only real but it also shows all the tiny, painful steps that they have to go through to realise their dreams. It starts with a singing competition when everyone was given a chance to showcase their talents. The girls gave a great performance but was still not recognised for their talents. They were later spotted by car dealer Curtis (Jamie Foxx), who gave them their chance of a lifetime, to sing backup for the then famous James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). They were then sucked into a whirlwind of fame and fortune as their fame grows with each performance and chance created by Curtis. The story further develops by showing the rise of the trio, the change of a member and the different situation they land themselves in at the later part of their lives. See how the story unfolds when one of the members was kicked out of the group. The show talks a great deal about family ties, even dedicating a song to it. The emphasis on that was to create a bigger impact on the audience, showing how far people would go for fame, to the extend of disregarding family ties, when they chose to count Effie (Jennifer Hudson) out of the group. There was a lot of underlying racist theme in the show where the "whites" was protrayed to have a easier life, ripping their songs to rise up to the pop charts. It also showcase a whole black cast, who had to struggle intially, to be accepted by the American society. The show is a rollercoaster ride of beautiful lights, glamour, songs and fashion. Be prepared to be delighted by sudden outburst of songs and be blown over by the convincing performance given by Jennifer Hudson, whether it's her rendition of "And I'm Telling you, i'm not Going" or her journey of a strong-headed single parent who never gives up her passion of singing.