Maybe the Bratz aren't so bad
When I first heard of this movie I mentally checked it off as a piece of ridiculous fluff. How could the smexy, sultry, trashy, obsessed-with-bling plastic dolls who have long been rivals of Barbie produce anything worth watching? But after reading a review on Plugged In Online, I decided to give the Bratz a shot. And now I'm so glad I did! While much of the movie is cotton candy, there's some meat to it as well. Wonderful lessons are taught--such as standing up for yourself without trashing your opressor, forgivness, friendship, selflessness, willing to do what's hard for a good cause, respect for your elders...I could go on. Unlike in so many teen movies and tween sitcoms you find on Disney or Nickelodeon, the girls all have great respect for their parents and have loving relationships with them. Cloe tells a room full of people that her mom, who selflessly and tirelessly works to provide for her daughter, is her hero. The teachers at school are not shown as clueless--apart from the principal, who is Meredith's father...but he also cares for his children and tries to encourage them. Cherish, Meredith's sister, says to him "You're a good Dad." A boy defends Jade's honor when another makes a rude comment. The main characters make mistakes and admit them, then apologize. The things that usually embarrass teenagers and tweens (being driven in Mom's car, being a 'nerd', making your own clothes, working and going against the flow) are embraced and glorified. A particularly memorable moment is when, amid the backlight and fog and dramatic music, the girls pull up to an event and step out in slow motion--from Cloe's mom's minivan. Absolutely pricless. The language amounts to about 5-6 usages of God's name, but no more. A few times characters expose a little belly, and there's a few short skirts, (Meredith wears the most revealing out of all the characters) but the clothing is mostly very layered and modest--vastly different from the doll counterparts. Fashion and shopping and beauty are emphasized a little too heavily, but it's all fun, not trying to look sexy. Jade lies to her parents, but she later apologizes. Aggresive shopping is shown in a good light (do we really want to be jerking belts from other people's hands and playing tug-of-war until one person goes flying?). There is a lot of stereotyping, but even that is shown in a bad light. The mantra of the film encourages people to be themselves, hang out with who they want, and do what they are interested in, even if it contradicts the cliques and expectations. The Bratz girls are over-exuberant and a little too ditzy at times, but they act exactly the way most teenage girls act. The disc itself is a good buy--with so much extra material, you'd think you were getting a bonus disc. There are several featurettes, behind-the-scenes, commentaries, meet-the-actresses and music videos to add a little more spice to the sugar. Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable movie that I want to watch again and again despite myself. While there are a few mild concerns and eyeroll-inducing moments, it's a wonderful movie with bright, bubbly colors and good lessons to be learned. Read more