Must See Movie...

Just so...so bad

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

How do you approach a dance movie? I feel that the story takes a firm back seat, in providing a wafer thin excuse to string some opportunities for dancing onto the screen. Granted there are some excellent story lines that come once in a while, but most times, you'd get the rudimentary dancer character who has to prove that he/she can dance to a group of nay-sayers consisting of peers or snooty judges, fall in love, and of course to rise above all challenges to claim the prize / gain acceptance from the community.Brought to us from the writer of movies such as The Step Up and Save The Last Dance movies, here comes something that doesn't disappoint, in that it sticks to formula so that you know what to expect, nothing more or less. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who played John McClane's grown up daughter in Die Hard 4, and scream queen in Final Destination 3) takes on the mantle of the downtrodden dancer wannabe Lauryn, who felt that she's responsible for the family garage business, until she decides to pursue her dream by leaving the small town, and head for the bright lights in the big city.Her audition with the Chicago School of Music and Dance was a complete washout, and confidence shaken, takes to the temp-ing at a lounge called Ruby's, where she helps to cook the books. But you can bet your last dollar that this is the venue with which she'll fall in love, with a fellow music engineer Russ (Riley Smith), while lapping the coincidental opportunities for her to showcase some of her moves, before becoming an established member of the pussycat dolls of dance.Story aside, which packed a wallop with superficial antsy challenges from established peers, an unforgiving brother who couldn't fathom her passion, and a boyfriend who can't wait to get into her pants, coupled with the nagging thought of failure and that she's no good for the Ivy League school for dance, we're really here for the set dance pieces, aren't we? There aren't many of them which stood out, given that they aren't as innovative or fused some genres together to come up with an amalgam of moves, though the character of Lauryn probably was supposed to show how an unpolished gem got to go through the paces at a club, before coming through and achieving success by her measure.And the lounge setting does provide for some sensual, provocative costumes to drape the lithe and tall frame of Winstead's, though I had to admit I thought her assortment of hoods, wigs and the likes provided for some convenient cover-up for a body double to take over, until of course I read that she had some background in dance. There are some routines that I genuinely liked, but the one at the finale, which should be the mother of all moves in any dance movie, was the one that seriously packed a punch, with improvisation, and a combination of ballet with hip-hop, without being too obvious or conscious about it.Yes, you've seen one you've seen them all, at least for the narrative aspect. If you're patient to sit through the dramatic portions, you'll find yourself cheering with the crowd when the dancers take to the platform. Soundtrack too was nothing short of expectations, and I give it brownie points for the inclusion of a disco retro.

The film is predictable, I felt that Lauren (Mary) was not as good as a lot of people made out, the other characters shone more for me, Carmen.. what an excellent version of Jessica Rabbit she makes. Ruby again was a good dancer and a nice character. Russ (Riley Smith) was good as the musical director even if he did have some cheesy lines. The story is the same old same old, but you could not help but be entertained. It was a real shame that Lauren's second audition was not half as good as one of her burlesque renditions. The story was OK the dance (Burlesque) was good, Russ (Riley Smith) was great, the rest sadly was mediocre.

I'm not sure where to start with this film. To start with, I was offended by the fact that her audition routine is criticised for not being 'feminine' or 'sensual' enough. However, she becomes good when she basically lap dances her way in. This is her great adventure. The film attempts to make it seem decent and respectful to women by putting some cheering women in the crowd. Second, the film is basically exactly the same as 'Save the Last Dance', which I enjoyed. The plot is more or less the same, without the racial issues in her area, and less convincing acting. While the plot to Step Up 2 basically fell through, the film was saved by the stunning dance routines. The dancing here was not particularly spellbinding to tell the truth. Finally, the film is so thoroughly formulaic that I basically was able to plan out all the events in the first 10 minutes. Girl goes to audition but is crushed- girl is taken in by friendly girl and is given a book-keepers job- girl meets attractive boy but sees him as being arrogant and not nice- girl makes out with attractive not nice arrogant boy- girl randomly gets on stage and everyone realises she is a star- girl realises her dreams conflict with... things- girl is sent by domineering brother to audition- girl gets into college!!- horrid bitchy person turns out to only have been trying to help her and they are now good friends... EtcKeep your hard earned cash and go see WALL-E instead.

To be honest, the only reason that I went to watch this movie at the cinema was because I attend a club which involves dancing. Quite a few of the routines that we do are based on songs or dance sequences from movies such as Step Up. Upon seeing the trailers for Make It Happen, I thought that I should go to see it, just in case we try a routine which is related to the film. Still, I am likely to commend myself if I can remember most of this lacklustre movie in a couple of weeks.Lauryn (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has dreamt of being a dancer for most of her life. However, after auditioning for the prestigious Chicago School of Music and Dance and being rejected, her hopes are severely damaged. Soon after this failure, she becomes a dancer at a burlesque club called Ruby's, and is a major success. However, Lauryn's family and her dreams soon begin to clash, and she must choose between the two...Make It Happen contains two positive elements. The dance sequences are extremely sexy and are also packed with confident energy. In the lead role, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is instantly likable and human. She isn't terrific, but she is still good enough that she puts the rest of the cast (who seem to be waiting for their pay cheques) to shame.Unfortunately, apart from the dancing and Winstead's performance, the movie falls flat. The plot is utterly predictable, the writing and direction are incredibly lazy and the pacing drags. This just feels like an attempt to cash in on the big public response to movies such as the High School Musical and Step Up instalments.So, my recommendation is to give this film a miss. I'm not really a fan of this type of movie, but I don't think that even hardcore fans will be satisfied by this superficial product. If you're looking for a good, enjoyable and pure musical experience at the cinema, it's still not too late to catch Mamma Mia!