Dreamgirls: I'm Tellin' You, Watch Jennifer Hudson Sing!

Stars: Jamie Foxx (Ray), Eddie Murphy (Donkey from Shrek), Beyonce Knowles (Austin Powers 3), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), and Jennifer Hudson (American Idol)

Directed by: Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters)

What's it about? Three girls go from amateur act to stardom after latching onto an ambitious car salesmen-turned-music mogul. Sacrifices are made, egos are tripped, and plenty of songs are sung.

Why you should watch it:Dreamgirls' performances are good. Some are incredible. The cinematography is very, very good and keeps this from being a stereotypical movie with black people in it. Hollywood has a way of doing that, sometimes, and they largely avoid it this time. No buffoons or jive-talkin' brothas in this one. Beyonce's performance wasn't a bad one and she played her role well, but I really didn't believe her "bad girl" actions later on in the movie. However, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson's performances in Dreamgirls are not to be missed!

What sucks about this movie: The uneven pace and identity crisis. It's based off of a musical (same name), but then Dreamgirls starts of with music, but not in the "musical" sense where people break out into song in the middle of a conversation. Then in the middle of it, it becomes that traditional musical. Then towards the end, it's both. Dreamgirls, what are you?!?!Too choppy in some parts and wish they would have given more time to the drama that was in the script.

DVD features: The extended scenes and outtakes are worth watching. I love that you can see the entire musical performances that would have made the film too long to show but are interspersed through out. I got a tickle of all the copycat bands that were obvious throwbacks to legends like The Temptations and The Jackson Five.

Nice Surprise: The set design, for one. Lots of good attention to detail with the late 60s-early 70s style of dress and television. Also, Jennifer Hudson. Can you believe this was her first movie? Simply amazing beyond the singing. She was always my favorite during that season of American Idol, but I'm not going to say "I told you so." Ok, I am.

Overall:Dreamgirls is a decent movie. It's a really good movie for musical fans and American Idol fans. Plenty of quality singin' to go around. Would I rent this again or buy it? Probably not. Once was enough. It's worth viewing on a weeknight when you've got a few last minute papers to file or TPS reports to complete.