RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Dreamgirls (2006)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
78 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:198

Fresh:154

Rotten:44

Average Rating:7.2/10

Consensus: Dreamgirls' simple characters and plot hardly detract from the movie’s real feats: the electrifying performances and the dazzling musical numbers.

Rated: 12A

Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins 1 sec

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:02-02-2007

Synopsis: In 1960s Detroit, a good night onstage can get you noticed but it won't get your song played on the radio. Here, a new kind of music is on the cusp of being born – a sound with roots buried deep in... In 1960s Detroit, a good night onstage can get you noticed but it won't get your song played on the radio. Here, a new kind of music is on the cusp of being born – a sound with roots buried deep in the soul of Detroit itself, where songs are about more than what's on the surface, and everyone is bound together by a shared dream. Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Jamie Foxx) is a car salesman aching to make his mark in the music business – to form his own record label and get its sound heard on mainstream radio at a time when civil rights are still only a whisper in the streets. He just needs the angle, the right talent, the right product to sell. Late for their stint in a local talent show, The Dreamettes – Deena Jones (Beyoncé Knowles), Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose), and lead singer Effie White (Jennifer Hudson) – show up in their cheap wigs and homemade dresses, rehearsing songs and steps by Effie's brother, C.C. (Keith Robinson), with hopes that talent and sheer desire will break them out of the only life that seems available to them. They're young. They're beautiful. They're just what Curtis is looking for. All they have to do is trust him. James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy) is a pioneer of the new Detroit sound, spellbinding audiences all along the "Chitlin' Circuit" with his electrifying blend of soul and rock 'n' roll. Curtis finesses The Dreamettes a gig singing backup for Early, and suddenly, for all of them, the gulf between what they want and what they can have draws closer for the first time. Curtis launches the girls as a solo act, rechristening them The Dreams, knowing in his gut that success lies not with the soulful voice of Effie, but with the demure beauty and malleable style of Deena – despite their history…and Curtis' promises. Deena is ready to step into the spotlight, even as Effie fades away. As a new musical age dawns, Curtis' driving ambition pushes this one-time family to the forefront of an industry in the throes of music revolution. But when the lights come up and the curtains part, they hardly recognize who they've become. Their dreams are finally there for the taking, but at a price that may be too heavy for their hearts to bear. The groundbreaking Tony Award-winning Broadway phenomenon comes to life as an all-new motion picture adaptation written and directed by Academy Award®® winner Bill Condon. A Laurence Mark production presented by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, "Dreamgirls," is a compelling story of love and loyalty, fame and betrayal that tracks the struggle, sacrifices and triumphs of a group of outsiders carrying their landmark sound into mainstream America in the 1960s and '70s. --© DreamWorks [More]

Starring: Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson

Starring: Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover, Keith Robinson, Hinton Battle, Anika Noni Rose, John Lithgow, Sharon Leal, Tom Voth, Robert Cicchini

Director: Bill Condon

Director: Bill Condon
Screenwriter: Bill Condon
Producer: Laurence Mark
Composer: Henry Krieger, Stephen Trask
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Bill Condon
    >
    Anika Noni Rose
    >
    Danny Glover
    >
  • Jamie Foxx
    >
    Beyonce Knowles
    >
    Keith Robinson
    >
1 - 4 of 7

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Dreamgirls

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

To say that Dreamgirls is the best musical so far this century is to make no great claim for it. To say that it's the best film about the music business since 1996's Grace of My Heart and fit to be spoken of in the same breath says more.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
02/10/07
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

Few pictures can match the glamorous pull of Dreamgirls. Bill Condon's first big musical since Chicago is a glossy, gleaming Cadillac of a film with a vintage rhythm and blues engine tuned to perfection. The cast is dressed to kill.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
02/05/07
James Christopher
James Christopher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There is no single person or story to centre the drama around, and Murphy's performance, though widely liked and indeed now Oscar-nominated, is for my money flatly written with very little of the high comedy octane of which we know he is capable.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
02/03/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Eddie Murphy is worth the price of admission alone. He isn't so much a masculine stage presence as a walking erection with a quiff.

Full Review Source: thelondonpaper | comment Comment
02/02/07
Stuart McGurk
Stuart McGurk
thelondonpaper

Entertaining, impressively directed musical drama with a show-stopping, Oscar-nominated performance by Jennifer Hudson.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
02/01/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

An old-school crowd-pleaser in the best Hollywood tradition, Dreamgirls is only let down by its piecemeal structure and nominal leading lady.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
01/30/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Total Film

The songs themselves aren't memorable so it helps greatly that they're delivered with gusto. Condon tries to pack too much in, however, and energy flags slightly towards the end. Ultimately it's Hudson's passion that keeps the dream alive.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/30/07
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Ardent, accomplished, overwhelmingly emotional, with something to say and a dream cast saying it in song. Bravo.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/29/07
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Marvellous musical entertainment packed with performances to relish and enjoy. Wonderful stuff.

Full Review Source: Sunday Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
01/29/07
Mark Adams
Mark Adams
Sunday Mirror [UK]

It reserves singing and dancing for the stage until Jamie Foxx just randomly bursts into verse while strolling down the street. Dreamgirls wants to be Effie but ends up as Deena: thin, smooth, unburdened by a personality.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/25/07
David Jenkins
David Jenkins
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Besides the high-energy music, the story grapples meaningfully with intense human drama, racial issues and the theme of art versus commerce.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/06/06
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

A musical for people who've forgotten how to listen, and how to feel

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
08/28/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

It compares to that other "legitimate" musical smash of recent vintage, Chicago. It just doesn't have the life or fun of Chicago.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
05/13/09
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

A tight and entertaining musical with a show stealing performance by Jennifer Hudson.

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Brian Marder
Brian Marder
Hollywood.com

Dreamgirls opened on Xmas day and it was every much of a brilliant holiday movie. I guess the only complaint I have is it is too slick.

Full Review Source: Movie Magazine International | comment Comment
07/22/07
Moira Sullivan
Moira Sullivan
Movie Magazine International

There's a joy on screen -- a love for the material that's palpable and contagious -- but the material, in the end, lets them down.

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

...Hudson offers up a seriously underwhelming performance...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
07/14/07
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

Worse than a movie of the weak (pun intended)

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
05/19/07
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

You may not be expecting this from a musical, but Dreamgirls is one of the most fast-paced, frenetically-edited, roller-coaster rides of a movie that you'll see all year.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
all

Latest News for Dreamgirls

February 07, 2008: Box Office Guru Preview: Fool's Gold Hopes to Shine in Battle of New Comedies
Hollywood plays the race card this weekend opening a pair of star-driven comedies, one for white moviegoers and the other for black audiences. Matthew McConaughey and Kate... More...

January 10, 2008: Box Office Guru Preview: Captain Jack and Captain Morgan Set Sail
For the first time in three weeks, studios will pack a Friday with plenty of new releases as four films open or expand nationwide giving the box office chart a major shakeup.... More...

July 19, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Can Chuck and Larry Beat Up Harry?
Two new star-driven Hollywood comedies face off at the box office this weekend in an attempt to unseat Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix from the top spot. Adam Sandler... More...

July 09, 2007: Will Beyonce Star in Disney's "Aida"?
Here's some good news if you love Elton John's "Aida" musical -- as well as Beyonce Knowles... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
55% 55% Orphan

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
98% 98% Up
88% 88% Ballast
66% 66% The Merry Gentleman

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Your first look at the swashbuckler.

Vampires

Vampires

We rank cinema's bloodsuckers.

Avatar

Avatar

The full trailer for Cameron's epic.

2012

2012

12 facts about Emmerich's disaster flick.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Rachel McAdams Reads for Spider-Man 4
111
  • Rachel McAdams Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Mania.com
162
  • Danny Elfman Leaves The Wolfman Source: Cinemusic.net
29
  • Oldboy Remake Rumored Dead Source: Latino Review
20
  • Francis Lawrence Directing a Futuristic Sgt. Rock Source: Hollywood Reporter
3
  • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
121
  • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
38
  • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
8
  • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
102
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: John Cusack's Best Movies
94
  • Five Favorite Films with Roland Emmerich
78
  • Critics Consensus: 2012 Isn't Quite Earth-Shaking
44
  • Weekly Ketchup: Rachel McAdams Reads for Spider-Man 4
37
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
34
  • Five Favourite Films with Ang Lee
29
  • 10 Movies That Changed The (End Of The) World
28
  • Friday Harvest: Clash of the Titans, Kick-Ass, and more!
22
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
4
  • RT's Holiday Movie Preview -- Find Out What's Hot This Season!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
4
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
15
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
40
  • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
139
  • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
4
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Dreamgirls at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Dreamgirls at IGN
  • Dreamgirls at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.