“Like a second rate TV movie” is how one critic has described Whitney Houston’s biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody in one of the movie’s early reviews. Starring Naomi Ackie as pop icon Whitney Houston, the film opens on Friday, Dec. 23, but the critics have been jumping in early with some scathing remarks about the film.

Chronicling the life of Houston, I Wanna Dance With Somebody comes from Bohemian Rhapsody screenwriter Anthony McCarten and Harriet director Kasi Lemmons. Still, while both of those movies went on to gain a fair amount of acclaim, it seems that this time around, some don’t feel quite the same way. The film very quickly saw its Rotten Tomatoes score slide to 40%, and while there could be some more positive reviews that can boost that over the next few days, it seems fair to say that the power of the film’s music is all the critics could really agree was worth it.

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MovieWeb’s Julian Roman called the movie an “uneven musical biopic with a stellar lead performance.” He commented:

AV Club’s Matthew Huff said:

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody hits the high notes recreating Houston’s legendary performances. Naomi Ackie nails the pop singer’s epic public highlights and lowest personal depths. Many fans will be surprised by the revelations of her private life. I Wanna Dance with Somebody does suffer from a helicopter view of incredible success. Director Kasi Lemmons bounces through time like a greatest hits montage. The film needed to settle down at key points for insightful perspective.”

Kelechi Ehenulo of Empire Magazine noted:

“Whitney Houston’s songs are as catchy as ever, but Kasi Lemmons’ film succumbs to familiar music biopic pitfalls without adding much to the singer’s legacy.”

Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson said:

“In what could have been a definitive tribute to Whitney Houston’s career, surface-level execution means her story is not quite done justice. But Naomi Ackie’s performance shines above everything else.”

One of the most negative reviews came from The Times’ Kevin Maher, who said:

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody ultimately devolves into a boilerplate biopic, a series of increasingly unfortunate events presented with little narrative shape or texture.”

“It’s gobsmackingly awful, and has no interest whatsoever in tackling the fascinating contradictions at the heart of Houston’s success, especially her status as (from McCarten’s script) “the first black all-American white-friendly girl”.”

Audiences Have Been Much Kinder To I Wanna Dance With Somebody

     Sony Pictures

As with the vast majority of films in the last few years, audiences seem to be much happier with what the majority of critics don’t like. While only a small number of early audience reactions are currently logged, most of them have been very favorable of the biopic for reasons other than the chance to hear a few tracks by the singer.

One review reads, “One of the greatest voices of our generation, Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston is AMAZING and will blow people away. See for yourself, you will not regret it.” A second echoed the sentiment, saying, “Worth watching film! If you are a true fan, you may cry once or twice… beautiful tribute to her legacy. Also, I must say that Naomi killed it! Her mannerisms were on point, you won’t be disappointed. I’m smelling an oscar nomination for her!” A third noted, “The critics got it wrong. I really enjoy this movie. Just go to see Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston. She’s absolutely sensational. A great holiday movie.”

How I Wanna Dance With Somebody fares at the box office has yet to be seen, but it has to fight for attention among the likes of Babylon, The Pale Blue Eye, and the mighty Avatar: The Way of Water.