Bratz to Become Slightly Less Bratty

The long-threatened Bratz movie is due to hit the theatres next month. No way to know if it’s any good or not (although I know which way I’d bet the rent money), but it might be less actively offensive than you’re expecting. The studio has decided to fend off complaints from outraged parents by sending the girls to rehab, and they seem to have made a successful recovery:

The live-action film, produced by Avi Arad (”Spider-Man”) and Paula Abdul, to be released on Aug. 3, portrays the four characters as misunderstood teenage prodigies who decipher complicated algebra problems and apply lip gloss with the same gusto. They volunteer to do household chores and chirp lines like, “My mom is my hero.”

Arad drove the point home by stating, “The one thing we didn’t want is for this film to be sassy.”

We’ll see how this goes. Bratz skeeve me out on about six different levels, but my impression is that their appeal is based on being bad girls. Wholesome Bratz will be a tough sell, sort of like promoting a book called The Wit and Wisdom of Paris Hilton. Not that these people are going to let that stop them. Arad is already at work on Bratz: The Sequel and Bratz: The Broadway Musical. If only that were a joke.