‘Burlesque’ — 4 out of 5 stars
Christina Aguilera might already be an icon, but now she can officially add movie star status to her list of achievements. In “Burlesque,” she shows she has what it takes to carry a movie, even if the movie is tailor-made to her talents.
Aguilera stars as Ali, the cliché small town girl with the big voice. Sure, the movie borrows heavily from the camp classic “Showgirls,” but it’s not as awfully hilarious. “Burlesque” stands on its own dancin’ feet as legitimate entertainment.
Cher proves she hasn’t lost a thing in her roll as Tess, the owner of the burlesque club where Ali finds solace. She gets the chance to belt out two great numbers and is never short of a bitchy one-liner.
As her fabulous best friend, Stanley Tucci steals every scene he is in, but is basically recycling his part from “The Devil Wears Prada.” And Cam Gigandet proves he can play beyond his usual bad boy persona and adds charm and sex appeal as Ali’s love interest. You will never think of Famous Amos cookies in the same way.
Besides Aguilera, the real stars of the show are the musical scenes. Your eyes and ears will be treated to top-notch choreography, sexy costumes and breath-taking vocals.
Even if “Burlesque” doesn’t add anything new to the musical genre, it still kicks it into high gear and will surely be a gay classic. Crossover appeal might be limited, but the infectious energy could even entertain the Average Joe.