The best metaphor to describe what it was like to see “Sparkle” is that it was like a rollercoaster ride. Sometimes as the coaster is riding high you think to yourself, “Hey, this is a good movie.” Then there are times when the ride is a low point and you then think, “This movie is pretty bad.” By the time the ride is over you conclude that “Sparkle” is a mediocre movie.

The high marks usually come during the musical numbers. Jordin Sparks, following in the footsteps of American Idol’s Jennifer Hudson, shows that she has more than just a spectacular singing voice. There is also some nice humor sprinkled throughout “Sparkle”. The low marks come from the huge plot holes that pop up in the movie. Apparently Whitney Houston’s character sleeps through ANYTHING and never notices when her daughters are sneaking out night after night and who knew there was HD television back in the early 60s? The predictability if the movie does not help its cause either.

Director Salim Akil shows some versatility. Last year he directed the comedy “Jumping the Broom” and now he is taking on a drama. While his execution is not flawless he does show to be a good actor’s director and a good understanding of character. The potential to become an overall strong storyteller is there and he should be able to bring it all together one day.

It would have been fabulous is “Sparkle” was a high quality movie on which Whitney Houston could have said good-bye to all her fans with instead of a movie which constantly plays it safe. Who knows, to further honor her she may end up with some posthumous acting nominations. The movie is rated PG-13 for mature thematic content involving domestic abuse and drug material, and for some violence, language and smoking