I liked it. The strengths outweigh the weaknesses. I wouldn't mind watching it again in a couple months.
Strengths: Ivonne Coll. The leads are charming together, and I liked their duet. The Rivera family dynamic. Ivonne Coll dancing.
Weaknesses: Some holes in the plot. A lot of the dialogue. Some of the supporting cast. (Alex and Toby seem to have wandered in from separate movies.) The absence of any other Mendezes. What they have Carlos do in his rehearsal scenes. (Who would want to work with such a musician?) What they have Alexa do in her work scenes. (Who would want to keep such a job?)
Mixed bag: The fickle paparazzi plot. The agent AC and the father. Mr. Rivera (played by René Rivera) loomed large in the plot, but the actor himself was underused. His motivation changed very quickly. There's a scene where the father talks about how teenage Summer Rivera was teased because her parents had foreign accents; meanwhile, neither of the actors playing the parents have foreign accents.
Apparently, this is based on the true story of Willie Aames and Winnie Hung. Aames was a teenage star from Eight is Enough. (Before my time, but I'm told it was a thing.) I didn't know that while I watched the movie, but I do know it now. My guess is the writers took out a lot so that the story could fit in a 90-minute movie. The result is imperfect but enjoyable.
Strengths: Ivonne Coll. The leads are charming together, and I liked their duet. The Rivera family dynamic. Ivonne Coll dancing.
Weaknesses: Some holes in the plot. A lot of the dialogue. Some of the supporting cast. (Alex and Toby seem to have wandered in from separate movies.) The absence of any other Mendezes. What they have Carlos do in his rehearsal scenes. (Who would want to work with such a musician?) What they have Alexa do in her work scenes. (Who would want to keep such a job?)
Mixed bag: The fickle paparazzi plot. The agent AC and the father. Mr. Rivera (played by René Rivera) loomed large in the plot, but the actor himself was underused. His motivation changed very quickly. There's a scene where the father talks about how teenage Summer Rivera was teased because her parents had foreign accents; meanwhile, neither of the actors playing the parents have foreign accents.
Apparently, this is based on the true story of Willie Aames and Winnie Hung. Aames was a teenage star from Eight is Enough. (Before my time, but I'm told it was a thing.) I didn't know that while I watched the movie, but I do know it now. My guess is the writers took out a lot so that the story could fit in a 90-minute movie. The result is imperfect but enjoyable.