The truly, truly outrageous animated 80s rock star known as Jem is getting her own live-action film later this year, and the first trailer is unquestionably bad.
In the time before the internet, films and television shows adapted from popular written works could largely ignore the source material as there were far less people able to call studios on their bullshit, and almost nowhere for people to individually engage thousands of people on a public forum with the same unhappy sentiment. Those days are ancient history now, and the nerds of today demand more out of their entertainment. Name and likeness is not enough, which is exactly where the new film called Jem And The Holograms goes wrong.
For those unfamiliar with the original animated series, Jem And The Holograms told the adventures of music executive Jerrica Benton, who used hologram projections to live out a singer alter ego named Jem. There was drama present, but the show was largely fun, and filled with great music that admittedly sounds a little dated today.
Universal Pictures’ take on all this, which you wouldn’t expect to be much different, is to twist the original framework into a tale of a talented and innocent young girl who essentially falls victim to the wolves of the mean old music business. She doesn’t even choose the name Jem. Jerrica Brenton, this time around, is a shy teenager with a golden voice in an unusual family unit that conveniently includes three similarly-aged young women. One of those sisters shares a video of Jem singing an original song on YouTube, and the viral success of the video catches the attention of a record label. Jem is signed, along with her sisters, but soon it becomes clear the executives really want a solo act. Romance, tension, music, and overdramatic teen bullshit no doubt ensue.
Jem and the Holograms hits theaters October 23, 2015. Aubrey Peeples stars as Jerrica Brenton/Jem. Other cast members include Stefanie Scott, Hayley Kiyoko, Aurora Perrineau, and Molly Ringwald.
