[6]

Prince and his Revolution members all play roles in this rock opera that’s equal parts cheese and cool. If you love Prince’s music (that is, if you have a pulse), that’ll be enough for you to enjoy the movie. It’s basically a concert movie where half the songs are performed and half serve as score behind the loose narrative. The script works best when centering around the abusive family subplot, where supporting actor Clarence Williams III really shines. The ‘battle of the bands’ and love story elements are less compelling. As popular as “When Doves Cry” and the title track may be, the “Darling Nikki” number was the stand-out for me. The Academy awarded Prince a special Oscar for original ‘song-score’.