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An extended music video in which the Spice Girls engage in silly goings-on between rehearsals for a big show. The music is fun, but the filler material between songs drags.Starring:Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm and Victoria Adams Director:Bob Spiers

<! mgEOF>"Spice World" is the ideal movie for people who still are disappointed that "The Monkees" went off TV. It's an extended music video built around the British rock group Spice Girls. They are extremely popular among pre-and younger teens, prompting several parents to call the Star Tribune this week to assess the movie's suitability for their kids. There's nothing to fear. The film is rated PG, and it's a soft PG at that.

In fact, "soft" describes the movie as a whole. There's precious little plot and no character development. The Spice Girls run around London looking for fame, fun and high fashion, stopping every 15 minutes or so to perform a song under the guise of rehearsing for a big concert. Parents who accompany their kids will be reminded of "A Hard Day's Night," minus much of the wit.

For those who have missed the phenomenon, the Spice Girls are the Village People of the '90s. Each has a stage name and a coinciding persona. They are Baby Spice (Emma Bunton), Sporty Spice (Melanie Chisholm), Posh Spice (Victoria Adams), Scary Spice (Melanie Brown) and Ginger Spice (Geri Halliwell).

Screenwriter Kim Fuller (a TV writer) has borrowed from dozens of movies, ranging from "Speed" to "This Is Spinal Tap." And director Bob Spiers (the remake of "That Darn Cat") has sprinkled the cast with cameos from the music world, including Elton John and Elvis Costello.

But it's the Spice Girls' music that is the movie's reason for being. It is fast-paced and upbeat, and the movie sags noticeably between songs. A preview audience made up of the group's fans started to get restless with the interruptions. Wouldn't they have been better served with a concert film, especially considering that 95 percent of the filler material could be thrown away with no discernible loss to the movie?