When Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah are singing gospel and strutting for God under the good-time direction of Todd Graff (his Camp is one of the best musicals you never saw), Joyful Noise goes down easy. Sadly, Dolly and the Queen are forced to speak dialogue that would choke two Meryl Streeps. Plastic surgery jokes (at Parton's expense) and liposuction gags (aimed at Latifah) have the subtlety of an anvil. Set in Pacashau, Georgia, the movie casts the two stars as rivals to head the  Divinity Church choir as they travel to Los Angeles for the nationals. Or is it the sectionals. I can never tell what's at stake, just like I can't on Glee, the flailing TV series this derivative movie so wants to treat as a kissin' cousin. Lots of talented young singers decorate the scenery, notably Jeremy Jordan (late of Broadway's failed Bonnie & Clyde but soon-to-open in Newsies)who has vocal and acting chops that shine even in this bucket of Glee Goes Gospel cornpone.

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• Video: Peter Travers Reviews 'The Devil Inside' and 'Joyful Noise' in 'At the Movies With Peter Travers'

“Time to Pretend”

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”