Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A former professional dancer volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system and, while his background first clashes with his students' tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the story of ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulane.
Take the Lead is a competent but formulaic inspirational drama that follows the well-worn 'outsider teacher transforms troubled students' template closely. Antonio Banderas brings charisma to Pierre Dulaine and the young cast delivers serviceable performances, elevating the material somewhat. The cinematography handles the dance sequences with reasonable energy but nothing particularly distinctive. The film's central conceit of merging ballroom with hip-hop is engaging but not deeply explored beyond surface novelty, and it ultimately retreads familiar territory seen in films like Dangerous Minds and Save the Last Dance. The ending delivers the expected triumphant payoff without surprise.