This "Fame" May Not Live Forever

On September 25, the remake of the classic movie "Fame" was released into theaters. Some wondered if it could possibly live up to its hype and the original "Fame" released in 1980. Sadly, the new "Fame" movie is, like most remakes, not as good as the original.

One reason that the original "Fame" was such a hit was because it was raw and really got the audience into the characters. Each character was sharply defined with their own story that the audience actually cared about. People cared about Leroy (Gene Anthony Ray) not knowing how to read and Coco (Irene Cara) being taken advantage of by a sleazy faux producer.

The new "Fame?" We barely learn the characters' names, much less about any complex story line. I actually referred to the characters, not by their names, but with descriptions like "Kay Panabaker's character," "the fierce African-American girl," and "that hot guy who sings really well."

Another reason the original was famous and a focus of the new "Fame" is the music, in addition to the acting and the dancing. The new "Fame" has clearly tried to revamp some of the classic scenes from the first movie. For example, one character, Denise Dupree (Naturi Naughton) sings "Out Here On My Own." While Naughton sounds phenomenal, the song loses meaning because it doesn't connect with her storyline. In the original, Coco sings this as her life and career feel like they are falling apart. Naughton's version is just a pretty song.

Another moment in the original that didn't translate as well into the remake is the lunchroom scene. In the 1980 "Fame" the lunchroom turns into a song and dance cacophony that releases all of the joy that the students have for the performing arts. The remake tries to recreate the same scene. It starts out fantastic: with tap routines, hip-hop beats and dance moves, and a rap battle. But then the director decided to cut to Denise and Malik Washburn (Collins Pennie) sharing a moment outside of the madness. This slices back the strong impact of the lunchroom scene.

And the iconic scene of the students dancing in the streets while singing the song "Fame?" That scene has been moved to the credits. If you want to remake a classic movie successfully, you probably should try to leave the iconic scene intact.

Another thing that the new "Fame" is lacking is the rawness and energy that teenagers have. The original tossed around f-bombs and had scenes of boys spying on girls changing. While this may be unsettling to parents and is what earned the original an R rating, it was true to how high school kids really act. We swear and boys are occasionally perverted. The new "Fame" has skirted away from any swearing worse than the s-word. And there is almost nothing sexual aside from kissing. While this may have earned the remake a PG rating, it took away from the realism the original had.

The new "Fame" does have one gritty scene. SPOILER ALERT. After Kevin Barrett (Paul McGill) is told he will not be getting a dance recommendation from his teacher, he almost throws himself under a subway train. Luckily, his friends stop him, since suicide would definitely screw up that PG rating.

This is a throwback to the original; when Lisa (Laura Dean) is dropped from the dance program, it appears that she is going to throw her stuff in front of a subway. Instead she drops her dance bag down on the track and says "Damn it, if I can't dance I'll change to the drama department." This humor is a release from the tense moment.

The remake doesn't have a laugh to release this tension, which makes the audience continue crying/freaking out. While this certainly plays up the emotion and stress of the moment, feel-good movies are supposed to have that funny or humorous moment after the scary moment. The funny moment keeps the scene in people's minds in a good way.

So all in all, the new "Fame" has nothing on the original. If you feel like going to see the new "Fame," go to the video store and pick up the old one instead. "Fame" the remake is a fun, easily forgotten time at the movies. "Fame" the original is fun with a punch.