It's strange that 20th Century-Fox would hide From Justin to Kelly from reviewers.

The studio was eager for critics to have an advance look at Down With Love and Just Married, films equally as saccharine and silly.

From Justin to Kelly - in case you don't recall, the title contains the given names of the first American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, and runner-up Justin Guarini - is a throwback to the old Elvis Presley and '60s Beach Party movies in which the characters tend to break into song at any given moment.

Even given the recent success of Moulin Rouge and Chicago, it's a bit jarring the first time this happens in From Justin to Kelly but once you accept the convention the songs and musical numbers actually help and advance what little plot there is.

Kelly (Kelly Clarkson) is a sincere, hard-working Texas girl who gets coaxed by her two best friends into driving them to Miami for spring break.

Kaya (Anika Noni Rose) and Alexa (Katherine Bailess) are real party girls hoping for as much action as possible.

Kelly just wants a break from waitressing and singing in a little western bar.

Justin (Justin Guarini) and his buddies Brandon (Greg Siff) and Eddie (Brian Dietzen) are party promoters. Justin has a reputation as a womanizer but deep down he's just looking for old-fashioned romance.

Kelly and Justin see each other across the beach and are instantly smitten. It takes them the next 80 minutes to connect because evil, jealous Alexa keeps interfering.

There are a dozen less-than-memorable songs in From Justin to Kelly but they're belted out with more conviction than they deserve, so they make a momentary impact at least.

The biggest surprise is not that Clarkson and Guarini can sing and dance because they showed us their stuff on American Idol. What is surprising is that they can both hold their own in front of the camera, as good as, say, a Mandy Moore or N' Sync's Lance Bass.

Guarini has a little more charisma and he handles the humour with more ease.

From Justin to Kelly is a sweet, innocuous musical romance, the cinema version of a carnival's cotton candy.