Spectacular! (2009) (TV)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Robert Iscove

Writer:

James Krieg (written by)

Release Date:

16 February 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Musical

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Exclamation Point In Title | High School | Punctuation In Title | One Word Title | Rival

Cast

Nolan Gerard Funk	...	Nikko Alexander
Tammin Sursok	...	Courtney
Victoria Justice	...	Tammi
Greg Germann	...	Mr. Romano / Joey Rome
Brittney Irvin	...	Amy (as Britt Irvin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harris Allan	...	Eric
Joel Ballard	...	Caspian
Matthew Bennett	...	Rich Dickinson
Rukiya Bernard	...	Receptionist
Jean-Luc Bilodeau	...	Star-Spangled Boy
Shannon Chan-Kent	...	Janet
Simon Curtis	...	Royce
Menina Fortunato	...	Ta Da Show Choir Dancer
Troy Hatt	...	Swanee Boy
Christopher Jacot	...	Stavros
Avan Jogia	...	Tajid
Lowela Jotie	...	Amelia
Sasha Kozak	...	Ta-Da Dancer
Andrea Lewis	...	Robin
Kevin McNulty	...	Uncle Sam
Jesse Moss	...	Nils
Natasha Powell	...	Didi
David Quinlan	...	Emcee
Michel Issa Rubio	...	Carlos
Ryan Salzl	...	A.C.
Anthony St. John	...	Anthony Gage
Venus Terzo	...	Marion Lane
Matt Ward	...	Jesús

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Pacific Bay Entertainment

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nikko and Courtney are walking to the bowling alley, Nikko is wearing Converse shoes. When they go inside, he is wearing black sneakers.

Quotes:

Nikko Alexander: [after talking to Mr.Tweed] Dude, this is so... Lame...
Swanee Boy: It's pronounced 'La-may'

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Late Night with Conan O'Brien: (#17.27)" (2009)

Good Music Spoke for the Movie

The thing with movies characterized by music and performing arts is that its essence depends largely on the relevance and the timing of its performances in relation to a particular issue in the story. Spectacular! may be underrated and under-appreciated but a deeper analysis of the film may reveal quite a degree of sense and heart in it lying behind its seeming superficiality.

The movie can be summarized through its four (4) songs strategically performed in different parts of the story.

The first song contains lines such as "I'm living my life just the way I like", "Don't tell me what I got to do, who I wanna be 'coz it's me who'll choose", "No more rules coz I just don't have the time", "I wanna go crazy and no one's gonna stop me." As it was performed, we are practically introduced to the band singer, Niko, a teenager aspiring to be a recording star who got dumped by his own band and girlfriend at the same night. Soon, however, he was recruited by a performing choir leader who has been accustomed to performing inside a 'box', so to speak, and to living strictly by the rules.

Conflicting perspective somehow made it quite a deal for Niko. Nothing natural, however, can be hidden for long. Soon, his outlook was discovered and surprisingly appreciated by the choir members. In fact, he started teaching the choir members new dance steps for a change.

Somewhere at the middle of the movie, another song was sung containing lines such as, "For the first time, I realize something I didn't see before; for the first time, looking in your eyes, suddenly, there's so much more; something, we both feel inside, for the first time". At this point, we are drawn to the idea that Niko finally and officially got hooked into the performing choir as he started introducing new Spectacular traditions. With the choir members at his back, he actually began sharing in their dream of winning and soaring to heights. He, somehow, forgot his former band and his own aspiration and became one with the new group.

The third song is the group's entry to the national competition containing lines such as, "You give me something to believe in after all we've been through; the love you gave, it all comes back to you", "… and here with you is where I'm meant to be". As in any other group endeavoring to soar, unpleasant things sometimes happen, test of character, difficult choices to be made, truth uncovered during the worst of circumstances, break ups. Good thing is that people are almost always drawn to where their heart is. Realizing that he taught the group something new to believe in and that it's heartless to just abandon and fail them after what they've been through, Niko made the most risky decision in his lifetime.

Little did Niko knew that this unselfish act would be greatly rewarded. As he soared in his newfound career, even the ones around him who lost their radiance found their way to reinvent themselves and soar with him.

The last song is the end credits song containing lines such as, "Coz everything can change when you least expect it", "Can't stop what you can't control, gotta learn how to just let go", "some things turn out much better the way it is with us". It's practically a good summary and I guess everything that happened in the story already speak for themselves…*