Rating:

“Fame,” which in its ’80s heyday was a movie, TV show, and Broadway and touring musical, enjoys another life with a big-screen remake. It should have stayed in its own decade.

The new “Fame” is a totally unoriginal and unnecessary remake that never quite gets beyond typical performance-movie cliches. The film is rated PG and therefore runs far, far away from anything edgy, controversial or interesting.

Like all of its previous incarnations, this “Fame” follows a group of young performers in various disciplines making their way through New York’s High School of the Performing Arts. The students have various romances and clashes with one another, while chasing the elusive fame of the title.

Rather than build upon the premise of both previous “Fame” editions and other similar films, the new movie just goes through the motions — performers fight anxiety! They clash with unsupportive parents! They channel childhood turmoil into their art! They have love triangles!

Aside from an extremely creepy ballet number that demonstrates just how much the lines between “ballerina” and “stripper” have blurred, there’s not a single thing in “Fame” that hasn’t already been seen in dozens of other movies. And even worse for “Fame,” it arrives just a few weeks after the debut of the wonderful new TV show “Glee,” which has taken a similar premise and handled it much more deftly.

Another reason the remake is so unnecessary is that there’s virtually nothing in the film that grounds it in 2009. In fact, the “teenagers” all seem to be mostly into music from the early ’90s. The movie’s PG rating doesn’t help matters either; it’s certainly the only incidence I’ve ever heard of it in which a 1980 film included frank discussion of homosexuality while its 30-years-later remake didn’t touch the subject at all.

Another problem, which the new “Fame” inherits from the original, is pacing that seems off. The plot spans all four years of high school, but with one exception none of the characters change in appearance in that time, and the plot doesn’t fit into that time frame. On two different occasions a couple confronts each other about an incident that feels like it was a few days before, until we remember it was closer to two years in film time.

With the exception of breakout performer Naturi Naughton (who sang in the girl group 3LW and played Lil’Kim in the recent Biggie Smalls biopic), none of the young cast members distinguish themselves much. The film’s adult/teacher cast is more impressive, especially Megan Mullally (who gets a surprising musical number) and Charles S. Dutton as an intense drama teacher.

Less impressively, the film features both Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth (Frasier and Lilith!) but not only gives them no scenes together but gives neither of them anything of note to do.

“Fame” was probably remade largely because of the astounding success of “High School Musical,” and the idea that some of its appeal among young teens would rub off on the new film. It doesn’t help that the new “Fame” can’t clear even that bar — or that “Glee” has emerged to steal its thunder.

“Fame” Directed by Kevin Tancharoen Starring Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Megan Mullaly, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth and Debbie Allen Rated PG My rating: 1.5 stars (out of 5)