I Wanna Dance With Somebody Reviews Love Whitney’s Music But Little Else

The first Whitney Houston: I want to dance with someone Reviews are out there and they seem to be quite mixed. Since Harriet director Kasi Lemmons and Bohemian Rhapsody From screenwriter Anthony McCarten, the new musical biopic chronicles the life and career of Whitney Houston, taking its title from the American pop icon’s 1987 hit song. the characteristics of the film Star Wars: The Rise of SkywalkerNaomi Ackie as Whitney Houston, along with Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters in supporting roles.

With I want to dance with someoneThe release of Around the Corner, critics start posting their reviews. At the time of writing, the film sits in the low 40% range on Rotten Tomatoes, which is bound to fluctuate. what is clear is that I want to dance with someoneReviews for are decidedly mixed, with many praising Whitney Houston’s music and Ackie’s performance, while also criticizing just about everything else, like the narrative and its overall clichéd approach. Check out what critics are saying below:

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

You will probably enjoy it. And even if you don’t like everything, you’ll probably enjoy discussing it.

eric henderson, tilted magazine

There are only clichés to this rise and fall stuff, with the only distinguishing wrinkle being the weight given to rise versus fall.

K Austin Collins, Rolling Stone

Ackie helps sell Houston as a singular talent even when she’s not the one singing those legendary songs on Mount Everest with Mount Everest-level mezzo-soprano notes.

Richard Lawson, vanity fair

I Wanna Dance with Somebody ultimately becomes a repetitive biopic, a series of increasingly unfortunate events presented with little form or narrative texture.

thomas floyd, Washington Post

Watching the pop singer’s life story is like listening to a greatest hits album, with just as little narrative coherence.

Matthew Huff, audiovisual club

Whitney Houston’s songs are as catchy as ever, but the Kasi Lemmons film succumbs to the familiar musical biographical pitfalls without adding much to the singer’s legacy.

kevin Maher, Times (UK)

It’s staggeringly awful, and has no interest in tackling the fascinating contradictions at the heart of Houston’s success, especially her status as (according to McCarten’s script) “the first white-friendly black American girl.”

Kelechi Ehenulo, empire magazine

In what could have been a definitive tribute to Whitney Houston’s career, the superficial execution means her story doesn’t quite do itself justice. But Naomi Ackie’s performance shines above all else.

Charlotte O’Sullivan, London Evening Standard

If Austin Butler’s Elvis is king of that vintage, [Naomi Ackie’s] Whitney is unquestionably the queen.

David Rooney, hollywood reporter

Critics will sniff, as they invariably do, for the familiar conventions of the musical biopic. But the spirit of I Wanna Dance With Somebody transcends those conventions far more often than it overwhelms them.

Brian Truit, USA Today

Anthony McCarten wrote this, as well as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a best picture nominee that was anything but, and Houston’s story finally takes the same tack as her Queen biopic: a Wikipedia entry brought to life on screen. .

Honest David, wireindie

The film’s holistic approach makes it impossible for “Eve’s Bayou” director Lemmons to assert her usual control or anchor even the most tragic moments of Houston’s life with the gravity they deserve.

Peter Bradshaw, guardian

A smooth and well performed work.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” is the kind of lavishly passionate biopic where you either give yourself in or you don’t, and if you do, you might just get so emotional, honey.

Related: Tom Hanks’ Choice Of Elvis Avoids A Hated Musical Biography Mistake

How I Want To Dance With Someone Reviews Are Compared To Recent Music Biopics

Judging by its rotten Tomatometer rating, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that I want to dance with someone it might not quite keep up with the recent trend of critically acclaimed music biopics. This even extends to screenwriter McCarten’s earlier musical biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, which despite receiving somewhat mixed reviews, was honored with five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. The screenwriter has also written biopics of Stephen Hawking (The theory of everything) and Winston Churchill (darkest hour), which were also nominated for Best Picture, so it’s safe to say that I want to dance with someone it won’t make the McCarten greatest hits cut.

Other than Bohemian Rhapsodyrecent influx of well-received music biopics include 2019 rocketman and Baz Luhrman Elvis film, which were praised for fittingly honoring their respective musical icons. the roku channel Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which was far from a serious musical biopic, still received very positive reviews for capturing the spirit of its subject matter. This, however, is where I want to dance with someone seems to succeed, while everything from the story to its superficial execution is where it falls short.

Like Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston boasts considerable name recognition that, despite lackluster reviews, might just convince audiences to hit the theaters and make I want to dance with someone a decent blockbuster during the holiday season. Whitney Houston fans surely shouldn’t be put off by the negative reviews, as capturing the iconic singer’s stage presence seems to be where the biopic thrives. With I want to dance with someone With its theatrical release on December 23, audiences will soon be able to watch the movie and make up their minds.

More: Did Austin Butler Sing Elvis Songs? (It’s complicated)

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