the audience applauded

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Nothing like HSM. It's a musical, but it's completely different. Show Choir, sounded really stupid before watching, but I think the point gets made, to each their own. Even better, when different tastes and talents mix together for one big Spectacular! It's a great storyline, the kind we need more of. It wasn't corny or stupid. Well, the cow costumes were "lame." I'll admit that one. One comparison though, the writer of this movie, enjoyed the final stage performance on Sister Act II. It works though. It was different enough from what's already been done, to have made it worth watching. And it would be worth it for Nickelodeon to make a Spectacular 2!

Shot in Canada with a mostly Canadian cast, Spectacular! is Nickelodeon's effort to compete with Disney for the High School Musical market. It remains to be seen whether any of the characters come up to the iconic level that the principals of the High School Musical franchise enjoy.Music class has certainly improved since I was in high school way back in the early part of the Sixties. Nolan Gerard Funk is a would be rock singer whose band gives him the gate and sends his career sputtering into stall. Britney Irvin likes his voice and likes him and wants him to join her jazz choir which do all kinds of choreography and glitz in their work. They're in competition and she thinks his presence could put them over. Of course when young Funk gets several opportunities to advance his own career and get back with his old girl friend, Tammin Sursok, what choices will he make? The only difference between this and the first High School Musical film was that Zac Efron had to choose between singing and sports, basketball to be specific. Here it's simply different musical venues, but the conflicts in the young teen mind are the same.In producing Spectacular!, Nickolodeon will of course be accused of stealing the playbook from Disney's High School Musical which in point of fact they have. There's nothing terribly Spectacular in this film, but its nice enough and the cast is talented enough to put it across.Now let's see if they become the icons that the High School Musical characters have become.

Spectacular! has been called Nickelodeon's answer to "High School Musical", and indeed seems to be aimed at the same audience. I've been told that it resembles another Disney TV-musical "Camp Rock" as well.Putting comparisons aside, I actually didn't hate "Spectacular!". It was a fairly well done musical with enjoyable music, some good acting and done without a Disney-sized budget. Nolan Gerard Funk plays cool, tough-acting rocker Nikko, with almost the right amount of attitude. Tammin Sursok plays spunky, energetic Courtney, who recruits Funk's character to her "show-choir", thus setting the stage for the movies (surprisingly numerous) pop-rock numbers.Tammin Sursok is much more enjoyable to watch than blah-bland HSM actress Vannessa Hudgens. Sursok's energetic portrayal steals the show away from the good, but not 'spectacular' Nolan Gerard Funk. Funk is not unattractive, and has a very different appeal than Zac Efron, with a more rocker-ish way about him. Victoria Justice (of "Zoey 101" fame), also has a role in this movie, and does a good job of portraying the movies "villain", Tami.The songs are not quite as catchy as the original High School Musical's were (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but have there own appeal to them. The way that the songs are executed is more believable than HSM's were (though still unavoidably cheesy), being performance based rather than "randomly start singing about what we're thinking"-based.Spectacular seems a little more grown up than High School Musical is, with a grungy (yet still candy-coated) feel to it that will likely be more interesting to older viewers (teenagers).It's not for everybody, but Spectacular is a quick, enjoyable film that will likely find an audience with those who didn't care for High School Musical.

So I already knew I was going in with high expectations. I can't help myself when I get excited for something. And while this movie didn't meet those expectations, I still enjoyed it and will enjoy it again through future viewings. The story seems a bit empty and disjointed and the resolution leaves something to be desired but you can tell what they're trying to accomplish with this little flick.I gave it a higher rating probably than the actual quality deserves simply because I could watch and enjoy without worrying about the content found all over TV elsewhere. It was actually more tame than I was expecting from a Nickelodeon movie - they tend to push the limits Disney Channel doesn't - but they held back this time and it worked.It's not the best movie ever made and if you HAVE to compare it to HSM - which you shouldn't, but many will - then maybe it's not quite up to that par. But it's enjoyable in it's own right.And anyone who was every in show choir - as I was once upon a long ago - then maybe you'll get a nice little trip down memory lane.