Take the Lead (2006)

Too much of everything

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Hey if you like music you'll love this movie <3 Yes the plot is a given but the dancing and the music WOW -- awesome!! I've seen it a few times but I enjoy it every time regardless! Love the dancing and the music, and wish I'd taken lessons when I was younger -- perhaps I would've kicked ass like these kids? :) This movie showcases dancing and the dancers are spectacular regardless of size, class, race or religion -- not to mention Antonio who is so soooo sexy!! And have I mentioned the music?? The music transcends color, race, religion, class - you name it! If I remember correctly it covers quite a few genres - and they are all worth listening too! I think what I like the most is the freedom with which everyone dances -- thats what dancing is all about! Let the music take you - Take the Lead!!

Lena Horne's recording of "I got Rhythm"soars above the title sequence of "Take the lead",leaving us on no doubt that the movie is indeed about rhythm - the rhythm of the dance,the rhythm of the streets,the rhythm of the basketball courts,the New York apartments and projects......the rhythm,if you like,of life. This feeling of energy and vitality is echoed in the pacing and cutting of the movie itself,sometimes frantic,sometimes languorous,but always infused with energy,restrained or unrestrained. Mr A.Banderas's slightly rueful charm is just right for the role of Paul Dulaine who - against all odds - brought Ballroom Dancing into the New York Public Schools System.He carries himself with the grace and precision of a young Burt Lancaster and never,metaphorically or literally,puts a foot wrong.It is a brilliantly controlled performance made all the more admirable for its apparent lack of artifice. There is,as you might expect,some wonderful music and dancing,superbly choreographed. Just one small scene where one of Dulaine's pupils dances alone to Sly and the Family Stone's remarkable version of "Que Sera,Sera" is worth the price of rental alone. There is nothing remotely original or cutting edge about "Take the lead" but it is a feast for the eyes and ears with a wonderful star performance. And as Ira Gershwin once said...."who could ask for anything more?"

I remember liking the dance film starring Julia Stiles, Save the Last Dance, so I thought with a good leading actor and a recognisable title here, I might as well give it a try. Based on a true story, polite dance instructor/teacher Pierre Dulaine (Antonio Banderas) is determined to help a bunch of troubled kids (most often in detention) get a second chance, learning to dance. It takes a while for them to get enthusiastic in doing ballroom dances, e.g. samba, tango, waltz, etc, as they don't agree with Pierre's music and dance tastes, liking hip hop and rap, but he eventually catches their attention with a tango dance, and they soon commit, even creating a few new dance moves in routines. Pierre believes they could compete in a big dance contest coming up, with a big cash prize, and the last few dance scenes make the good ending. Also starring Rob Brown as Rock, Yaya DaCosta as LaRhette, Dante Basco as Ramos, John Ortiz as Mr. Temple, Laura Benanti as Tina, Marcus T. Paulk as Eddie, Jenna Dewan as Sasha and Alfre Woodard as Augustine James. Banderas obviously struts his stuff, the supporting cast all get their moments too, but the film is mostly interesting of course for the energetic and exciting dance sequences, backed up with a good soundtrack, including Black Eyed Peas. Worth watching!

Formula for the teacher meets misunderstood/troubled students, where the result is positive for everyone.Take a teacher (male/female). Place said teacher in an inner city or remedial class room. Add conflict, usually due to social class difference or the fact that said kids have never gotten proper encouragement or positive attention from adult figures. Teacher then breaks down said barriers with some "forward" thinking alternative teaching methodology. The kids learn. There is usually a fall-back to previous behavior (usually caused by external school situations), followed by redemption. And this is usually based on true life events, for added drama.Now is the easy part. As we learned in algebra, we just place in the actual data to replace the variables. The teacher is Zorro himself, Antonio Banderas. There are the kids (too numerous and somewhat annoying to mention). And there's the forward thinking teaching method which would be ballroom dancing. There are numerous other movies that follow a similar path - Sydney Poitier in To Sir, With Love; Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds; Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver; The Rock in Gridiron Gang; Rhea Perlman in Sunset Park; and even Samuel L. Jackson in Coach Carter. The later entries on that list follow the same formula, except it substitutes sports for class and coach for teacher.There is nothing overly original about this movie. Even though this movie is based on actual events and Pierre Dulaine (which is inspirational in itself and commendable), does not mean I necessarily want to see the same thing rehashed with different names, places and dates. The music is decent and the dancing is average. I guess one really has to be into ballroom dancing to get a fuller appreciation. There is also nothing I like better than to be grilled by Zorro in a condescending fashion. On a side note Dante Basco really needs to invest time into getting his acting skills up to par and getting a new agent. He is almost pushing 32 and playing angst-ridden teenagers might be a bit of stretch right now. The problem I have with most of these types of movies is that the ending is gratuitous. The ending is usually somewhat if not completely happy in which something is achieved, but the full realization of turning one's life around and making something of oneself is never fully shown. For example, how does LaRhette resolve her mom's prostitution and how does Rock resolve his conflict with his alcoholic dad and not to mention with the local thug he just angered ?The only true worth of the movie would have to be Zorro's tango with actress/dancer Katya Virshilas. That was kind of hot, but I think that was mostly due to her intrinsic abilities. I would have given this movie a higher rating if it actually induced sleep, because at the time I couldn't. Instead skip this one and just watch the trailer. It includes the best scene of the movie.