As "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks' first feature film and late music legend Whitney Houston's last, "Sparkle" has serious off-screen promotional fodder. It's a good thing, too, considering its on-screen presence is thoroughly unremarkable.

Set in the late 1960s and centered around the Motown culture of Detroit, "Sparkle" is the story of aspiring singer/songwriter Sparkle (Jordin Sparks), who forms a girl group with her two sisters Dolores (Tika Sumpter) and Sister (Carmen Ejogo) with the hopes of making it big. The group rises to fame, but comes up against opposition from their mother, Emma (Whitney Houston), a fallen star determined to steer her daughters away from the harsh spotlight, as well as lead singer Sister's own struggles.

Sparkle's intentions are pure, but she's nevertheless thrust into the seedy underbelly of the music lifestyle – and all of the cliches that come with it. She and her sisters must sneak around behind their overprotective mother's back to get to gigs. She falls for the group's eager and idealistic manager (Derek Luke). Sister lets her rising popularity go to her head and winds up mixed up with professional comedian (and slimeball) Satin (Mike Epps). It unfolds – and resolves itself – as a completely methodical rising star music drama.

While it seems the filmmakers were content in sticking with the standard plot format, they decided to shake things up a little with the camera. The movie is sprinkled with odd "arty" inflections (useless closeups, unconventional focus, slow motion) which fall flat at best. The worst of them actually garnered some unintentional laughter from the audience during what I can only imagine was supposed to be a dramatic moment.

The one bright spot is the talent of the cast. They fought hard and well to wring actual people out of the cliched dialogue and conventional plot. The musical performances were better still, showcasing the talents of Sparks and Ejogo. Houston's single song was also decent, but it seemed to be more of a requisite part of a music movie that includes a big-name star like her.

Though the music was good, the film's rote adherence to the archetypical "music drama" plot left me feeling like the whole movie didn't need to be made. It doesn't have anything original to offer, although it will likely do well now that it has the advantage of being Houston's last film. More than once I caught myself wondering how much of Houston's story was in this movie (she also serves as executive producer) – now, regardless of how forgettable "Sparkle" is, it will stand higher on speculation and Houston's influence. It's an unfortunate edge, but an edge nonetheless.