Joyful Noise (PG-13, 2012)

Not sure where to start with this one. Went with a friend and our two seven-year-old daughters, who had both seen the trailer and were dying to see it. My daughter and her friend love singing, and with Queen Latifah and Dolly, I thought it would be cute with lots of songs & jokes. However -- completely aside from the subpar acting, dialog, plot progression, continuity and camera work -- this film had no idea what audience it was going for. Or maybe it was swinging for all of them? If it was aiming for funny camp with moments of "she said/did WHAT?" a la a tame version of Bridesmaids, then the viewer would likely not appreciate being bludgeoned over the head with constant Christian messages and folksy life lessons. The serious Christian would love the messages and songs, but be appalled at some language and inappropriate dialog/actions (that would go over the head of the average youngster, but made us look at each other and say, "Really??! Eewww") ex. Queen Latifah and Dolly see the main teen girl (Latifah's daughter) making eyes at the main teen (annoying Dolly's grandson) boy, and Latifah says, out of nowhere, "That's a look that stays in your stomach for nine months!" or something close to that. THESE KIDS ARE 16 - and the girl is a devout Christian who isn't even allowed to date, mind you. Family movie? It's got the cloying plot and the cliche characters that young kids can get a handle on, yet too weirdly raunchy. Then it will suddenly swing back to the God Can Save Anyone messages that occur every three minutes (as in, poignant shadow-strewn solo of Latifah, alone at the church piano, singing "God fix me... God fix me... God fix me...." I don't believe there were any other lyrics in that song and it went on FOR. EV. ER. On the opposite end, a running gag in the movie is about a geeky female choir member who hasn't gotten laid in four years. She wham-bam sleeps with a geeky male choir member, who you learn hasn't slept with anyone in three years. She tries to serve him breakfast in bed afterward only to find him dead -- and all she's worried about is she'll never get laid in her small town again because -- as she tells the minister (!!) - her rep is now "tap that and you're dead." The musical numbers are pretty good, and my daughter really enjoyed those, but she covered her eyes and squealed whenever kissing/sex scenes appeared. If she was any older, we would have had some serious 'splainin' to do about many jokes and gags. It was like two separate movies bizarrely mashed together, to the discomfort of all. Do not bother.

This is an awesome movie....great for all ages! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

i saw this move this weekend and it was great but would just like to remind parents that this is rated pg13 and is not sutible for smaller kids please think of this before you pick this movie for your family movie night

I thought movie was good and my daughter who is 12 yrs old enjoyed it as well. Had just a few instances of foul language, but nothing she has not heard before. It reminds you of the movie Sister Act very much.

Who can't remember Keke Palmer playing a mouthy preteen in Akeelah and the Bee? She now plays a foul mouthed teen girl in Joyful Noise who can't get along with her mother. Queen Latifah is starting off her music career in this meaningful musical. But this wouldn't sell tickets if they didn't take on pop and rock music. If they just sang church music they would make no money whatsoever. And there was a kid with Asperger Syndrome in the movie. There is a lot of research going on about that these days. So they threw that in this movie. There is some language that is not terrible.

One violent brawl scene with bloody results, a scene where two people are seen making out, and lots of language, like sh*t, b*tch, p*issed, a*s, hell, and d*mn. But there are positive messages and role models.

Not at all what I expected. No need for sex and bad language but it is there anyway. Choir members having sex is disgusting.

Good movie over all but there is a LOT of language in it.

Overall an uplifting movie. My only big complaint was the sexual innuendos and relationships were more than I expected. The role models and message presented were great.