2Gether, MTV's shining star in a surge of redundant "boy bands," debuted their title movie on Feb. 21, a parody/satire making fun of the infamous Backstreet Boys and *Nsync clones.
MTV went all out for its creation, including a two-hour uninterrupted presentation of the movie followed by a live performance by 2Gether in the MTV Times Square studios. Even a soundtrack of "2Gether" was released in February, featuring their catchy song, "U + Me = Us (Calculus)."
"2Gether" is the step-by-step quasi-documentary of a manager, Bob Buss (Alan Blumenfeld) searching for the perfect boy band after his untimely firing by the hit band he created, "Whoa!"
After finding rejected aspiring solo artist Jerry O'Keefe (Evan Farmer), Buss sees potential - potential for a new hit boy band to save his career after Whoa! left him with the "reciprocal" of his exponentially increasing capital in the boy band venture.
Buss fills the gaps by "plugging" characters into the boy band equation: the shy-but-naïve type, Chad Linus (Noah Bastian); the reassuring older brother type, Doug Linus (Kevin Farley, brother to the late Chris Farley); the rebel, Mickey Parke (Alex Solowitz); the cute-little-boy type, "Q.T." McKnight (Michael Cuccione); and finally, to hold the band together, the stud of 2Gether: Jerry O'Keefe.
After a terrible debut performance at a local spelling bee, O'Keefe ditches the band. Buss feels betrayed, but the rest of 2Gether decides to continue on to their big show: an opening act for Whoa! in Florida.
"2Gether" loses its comedic touch after O'Keefe's brief vacation from the rest of the band; the rest is corn, corn, and more corn. O'Keefe comes back just in time to save 2Gether after making up with Erin, the girlfriend he dissed for his musical career, and Whoa! is booed offstage by their distressed fans after their lip-syncing talents are outed. But 2Gether arrives to save the day - and "integrates, not differentiates" a new sea of teenage fans.
The movie does not deserve a "two + two = four star rating" (and is in no way Oscar material), but it is a must-see and a definite thigh-slapper. Boy band lover or not, the movie will leave you with a pink face and a yearning for some "Schoolhouse Rock."