'Jem' completely misses the mark in first trailer

Posted Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 11:02 AM Central
Last updated Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 11:05 AM Central

by John Couture

The unholy union between Universal and Hasbro has been mixed, at best. Battleship was sunk before it even came out, while Ouija was a surprise hit last year that is actually getting a sequel next year.

The next film up on its joint release schedule is the upcoming Jem and the Holograms and today marked the release of the first trailer for the film. There's nothing mixed about this trailer, Jem looks like a complete train wreck and it begs the question, did anyone associated with this film even watch the cartoon upon which this movie is supposed to be based?

No, really, it's that bad. Check it out for yourself.

Forget for a moment that there's no star earrings, no Synergy computer and no holograms, the biggest failure for me is the casting of Aubrey Peeples as Jem/Jerrica. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty big Aubrey Peeples fan and she's perfectly cast as Layla on Nashville, but her schtick just isn't right for Jem.

Instead of getting a campy, fun big-screen adaptation ala Josie and the Pussycats, the filmmakers of Jem opted to simply regurgitate every other movie ever made about a band. The original cartoon didn't stray into the overly dramatic territory of in-band fighting and the star-seeking alter persona of the lead, but instead presented Jem and the Holograms with rival bands to add to the ongoing conflict.

Also, instead of the Jem being the alter-ego rock star of Jerrica, the owner of Starlight Music, she's a complete unknown who finds success via YouTube (of course) and the only altering that goes on is through Photoshop. Where's the hologram-producing computer again?

Instead, the record executive played by Juliette Lewis is a power hungry evil tyrant that will presumably shape most of the conflict in the band as she tries to pit Jem against her sister and bandmates. What? If you're confused, you're not the only one. There's tears and lots of them and way too many dramatic moments from a fun and lighthearted show that may have touched upon weighty issues at times (being orphaned and having regrets), but mainly sought to entertain as a fun mix of the aforementioned Josie and the Pussycats and Scooby Doo.

Ultimately, the caustic, sad delivery from Aubrey as Jem is where I disconnect. Again, it's not necessarily bad in its own right, it's just not Jem. Jem isn't a mopey teenager full of angst rebelling against the world. Well, at least she wasn't in the TV show, I guess this is a new Jem for a new generation. For me, at least, it doesn't work and it will be interesting to see how it's received by audiences.

Jem and the Holograms hits theaters on October 23. What do you think of this portrayal of Jem?