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Jem and the Holograms Movie Trailer Debuts, Fans of the Original Cartoon Are Furious

Truly outrageous! The first trailer for the upcoming big-screen adaptation of Jem and the Holograms arrived on Tuesday, May 12, and sparked an instant backlash from fans of the original cartoon.

The live-action flick seems to take a much looser interpretation of the beloved ’80s story than expected, reinventing the badass pop star as a YouTube sensation. In the hours after the trailer made its way online, viewers pointed out large inconsistencies between the cartoon Jem and the Jem played by Aubrey Peeples (Nashville).

Related: PHOTOS: '80s Stars: Then and Now

The YouTube video of the preview counts five times as many down votes as up votes as of Wednesday morning, and all of the top comments take a critical view of the remake. 

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HAYLEY KIYOKO as Aja, AUBREY PEEPLES as Jem and STEFANIE SCOTT as Kimber.

“Um???? Where are the actual Holograms???? Like that’s a pretty big part of the movie???” one comment reads, brining attention to the technology that cartoon Jem uses to keep her true identity a secret. Born Jerrica Benton, the singer lives as a regular woman when off the stage, and while that duality is portrayed in the new film, Jem uses costumes, makeup, and management, rather than impressive holograms and a magical earring.

Related: PHOTOS: Best and Worst Movie Remakes

“This looks so bad that it’s truly outrageous. Truly, truly, truly outrageous,” another viewer sniped. “This is REAL???? WHY does Hollywood Hate the 80’s so much!?” a third chimed in. 

While the plot may differ from the original story, ’80s kids will see some familiar favorites from the decade in the feature film. Molly Ringwald signed on to play Jem’s aunt Mrs. Bailey, while Juliette Lewis makes an appearance as record exec Erica Raymond. The flick also stars newcomers Stefanie Scott, Hayley Kiyoko, and Aurora Perrineau, as well as The Boy Next Door hottie Ryan Guzman.

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Related: PHOTOS: Stars as Cartoon Characters

While fans were less than thrilled with the first look at the feature, Samantha Newark, the voice of the original Jem, had a more positive take. “So excited and thrilled for everyone who poured their heart and soul into the making of the big screen feature film Jem and the Holograms coming October 23rd to a theater near you,” the star, who is expected to make a cameo in the movie, wrote on Facebook. “So grab your friends and dress in your most truly outrageous Jem attire and enjoy the movie!!!”

Take a look at the trailer above and judge for yourself if the film does Jem proud! 

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