Those hoping that “Cadillac Records” would be inspirational and filled with powerful performances will be somewhat disappointed. Based on a true story, “Cadillac Records” stars Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) and Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright) as they start a soul record label (Chess Records) in Chicago and try to cross over “race music” into white radio. This musical biopic follows them as they recruit and record with Little Walter (Columbus Short), Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer), Howlin’ Wolf (Eamonn Wlaker), Chuck Berry (Mos Def) and Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles).

With all of those performers, this movie is packed with excellent performances, yet overstuffed with characters. This is one of the problems with “Cadillac”: the movie is stuffed with so many different story lines that they are all severely underdeveloped. With the singers moving in and out of the story line, Howlin’ Wolf and Chuck Berry are introduced and then left without conclusion. Even as supporting characters, they should have been somewhat developed and at least given an ending to their story lines before the listing of their death dates at the end of the film.

Leonard Chess, Muddy Waters and Little Walter are all, on the other hand, very well-developed. Wright and Short are particularly powerful in their mutual roles. Wright is able to pull off the more reserved Waters, while Short is excellent at playing the extroverted, drunk Walter. In fact, if the movie had focused more on just those three main players than the introduction of others into the record label, it would be much less disconnected and much more fluid.

Of course, this would omit two of the best performances of the movie. First off, Mos Def shows off some of his acting skills through his portrayal of the goofy rock ’n’ roll singer Chuck Berry. His performance is funny and enthralling. By far the most dazzling performance is Beyoncé’s Etta James, though she doesn’t appear until over an hour into the movie. She portrays the troubled soul singer with ease and believability. She also steals the movie with her amazing vocal performances. With the best voice in the movie, Knowles belts out James’s classic “At Last” beautifully.

While they can try, these remarkable performances can’t make up completely for the evident flaws. The movie begins slowly and from the get-go jumps disconnectedly from scene to scene without explanation. Also, from time to time, the script is cheesy, and some events occur too much by chance.

There is no question that the main point of seeing “Cadillac Records” is the musical performances. In addition to Beyoncé, Wright, Short and Mos Def, all give entertaining and musically enjoyable performances. In fact, they drive the movie; without them, it would fall flat.

While the plot does move along relatively cleanly, it is relatively anti-climactic. Don’t get me wrong, this movie does have its moments where the viewer can get excited, happy, or sad, but by the end, it can be difficult for the viewer to connect to the conclusions of any of the characters’ stories. With an overstuffed cast, few of the characters are developed enough to incite any more than bare emotion. With all of that said, “Cadillac Records” is a movie that can be enjoyed, if only for its admirable musical and acting performances.