Hardcore Gleeks will probably thrill at this 3-D concert film, but the more casual viewer, drawn to the Fox TV show’s snarky and sweet storylines and its campy aesthetic, won’t find much to chew on here. The film restages the greatest hits of the show’s many musical numbers, to greatly diminished effect, with lackluster choreography and all the narrative appeal stripped away. Glee 3D brackets those musical numbers with vignettes about three Glee fans whose personal stories uphold the same values as the show – perseverance, acceptance, staying true to one’s self – that are uplifting, to be sure, but bear the whiff of one of those self-help programs PBS plays during fundraisers. And considering that the show is so high on its own good vibes and good messages, it’s bewildering that Chris Colfer’s Kurt, the openly gay character whom so many fans cite as an inspiration, is marginalized in the concert film; his one solo is a lifeless rendition of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” and he hardly warrants a single close-up in the duet he shares with powerhouse singer Lea Michele. The only reason I can see for this big-screen outing – outside of the opportunity for 20th Century Fox to rake in some more cash, a ploy that failed in the film’s first-week debut at No. 11 at the box office – is to experience a sort of contact high from all the screaming fans the cameras swoop in on. Me? I’ll take my Glee straight (well, you know what I mean) and not watered down with whooping tweeners.
This article appears in August 19 • 2011.
