After some investigation, it turns out that what the girls thought was a Hollywood musical is actually a Bollywood feature. Even worse, the director isn't interested in The Cheetah Girls as a group; he only wants one to star in the movie. Singing, dancing and competition ensues.
I was surprised by The Cheetah Girls: One World - Extended Music Edition, not because it exceeded my expectations, but because of how generic and, well, fake it sounded. This isn't the first Disney-produced musical I've had to review; I think I've basically covered them all. However, when thinking back to the Camp Rocks and High School Musicals I've covered, they all had a certain "truth" to them that One World sorely lacks.
It all starts with the music. All of the songs song incredibly generic and, though I'm sure the target audience will still sing along, I wasn't able to find anything likeable about any of them. This was a bit surprising, especially since I usually find at least one or two songs that I actually like. A big part of this could be contributed to the singing, which is overly produced and lacks any sense of the girls' natural singing ability. Granted, this is true for movies like HSM or Camp Rock, but at least there's still a sense of individuality for each singer. With One World, you could close your eyes and not tell the difference between singers - including the Indian ones.
The extended edition branding comes from the addition of a longer version of the song "Feels Like Love." Other extras include three additional music videos, an outtakes reel and sing-a-long mode. However, your enjoyment of these features is directly dependant on your enjoyment of the movie.
In the end, The Cheetah Girls: One World - Extended Music Edition is solely something for fans of the group. Even if you're a fan of similar Disney productions, One World lacks both the charm and fun of other productions to make it worth watching.
