Contains Spoilers
Let me set the picture. Me, a (cough, cough) 30-something, in a theater full of tweens very excited to see Jem and the Holograms. Why? The year was 1985 and a great new cartoon appeared on my television and it was everything I wanted it to be. It was how my 8-year-old self visioned my adult life. I just knew that I was going to grow up and be a famous rockstar. I kind of still do.
This modern take (yes, the 80s are considered vintage by young people today) of Jem and the Holograms starts off with Jerrica Benton, Jem (played by Aubrey Peeples) shooting a video of the story that has led her on this wild and crazy journey as Jem.
The story starts with Jem telling us when she and her younger sister Kimber (Stefanie Scott) moved in with their Aunt Bailey (Molly Ringwald) and her two daughters Aja (Hayley Kiyoko) and Shana (Aurora Perrineau). Jerrica’s father passed away and he left her fond memories and a cute little robot named Synergy. Fast forward ten years and Jem starts telling the epic story of how Jem came to be.
The family is very musical, and Aunt Bailey uses music to help the girls get through tough times. Jerrica shoots a video of herself singing a song she wrote with that iconic pink hair and calls herself Jem. Kimber, who was supposed to delete the video off the camera as Jerrica requested, instead posts it online on her personal account. By morning the video has gone viral and everyone is wondering; who is Jem? Erica Reymond (Juliette Lewis) of Starlight Productions reaches out to Jem, wanting to bring her LA. Jerrica will only accept if her sisters can join her. She doesn’t want to be in the spotlight, but she sees this as the only way she can help save the house they all grew up in from foreclosure. The next morning Erica is on their doorstep with her bodyguard, Zipper. Erica takes the girls to LA and the makeover and rehearsals start. Jem and her sisters are set to play three surprise shows in LA after Erica has revealed Jem to the public.
Juliette Lewis is great in this role. She is a self-centered narcissist and you will want to smack her. It’s great.
The movie continues with Jerrica realizing that Erica may not have her best interests at heart but she needs to do what is needed to save the house.
Jerrica packed a very special item to take with her: Synergy, the robot that her Dad built for her when she was little. After he passed away she had tried to make Synergy work but she never could. Something magical happened as the car drove to LA, nearing where she and Kimber had lived with their Dad; Synergy activated. Jerrica discovers this in the middle of the night and it scares the crap out of them at first, but when Synergy starts moving around and making noises you will see that she is the cutest little robot ever. Jerrica’s Dad left clues that Synergy gives to her. She and her sisters get into all kinds of mischief when they go out trying to find those clues. When she finds all the clues it reveals something that money could not buy.
I am not going to spoil the rest because I definitely think this is a movie you should go see. A lot of reviews have come in that say some not very positive things about this movie, but I disagree. Jem and the Holograms may not follow the canon of the original cartoon but this movie delivers a message to anyone who hasn’t quite figured out their path in life yet. Whether you are a kid or an adult go check out this movie, eat some popcorn and enjoy it with someone you care about.