Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 06/22/2004
From The Disney Channel comes a TV movie adaptation of Deborah Gregory's
Cheetah Girls book series. It's the continuing adventures of a smart, sassy singing group whose members make their way in the pop music world with nothing but their wits and musical chops to guide them. Along the way, they live a little, rock a little, and learn a lot. That's pretty much the story line for the onscreen version of this junior girl power romp, which features
Raven-Symoné of Disney's
That's So Raven! as Galleria;
3LW's
Adrienne Bailon and
Kiely Williams as Chanel and Aquanette, respectively; and actress
Sabrina Bryan as Dorinda. The quartet performs four songs on the
Cheetah Girls soundtrack, including their theme song and a cut called -- no surprise here --
"Girl Power." Musically, it's cookie-cutter pop-dance material spiced with some light urban touches, akin to third- and fourth-tier acts like
Willa Ford and
Eden's Crush. This makes sense, since it was produced by
Ray Cham, a studio whiz who's worked with
Crush and hopefuls like
Vi3.
The Cheetah Girls is fleshed out with a few likable, if forgettable, tunes that further the stick-to-itiveness vibe of the film. Of these, the best is the fizzy,
Go-Go's-ish "Breakthrough" performed by the mysterious
Hope 7. There's no denying the positivity that guides the
Cheetah Girls concept. It's just too bad that the group's sound is so devoid of any originality. [A Special Edition of the soundtrack features a karaoke version of the album, as well as a pair of bonus tracks.]
~Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide