Dancing Girls

All this is is a dancing version of Coyote Ugly. Dancing is good but if you have watched Coyote Ugly, you already know what's about to happen.

Examples: In both movies there is a colleague who is horrible to them right through the movie...

In both movies there is the guy who pretends to be the manager...

In both, its all about getting the audition

In both, there is a family crisis where they both decide to abandon their dream and run home but first have a good old fashioned drama scene where they abandon their boyfriends...

Seriously, if you have watched Coyote Ugly, don't bother watching this one.

It;s got it's flaws, but I had fun watching it. Mary Elizabeth WInstead is great in this film and the dance scenes were amazing. So if you just watch to see a dumb fun movie, I say give this film a watch.

Greetings from the other side. You will get serious deja vu watching this movie.

Girl goes to dance try-out but doesn't make it, so she tries her hand at burlesque. You get the standard montage of trying on clothes, along with many other cliches, such as:

Hot DJ guy asks her out.

Evil dancer is jealous of her Says she can't dance like that, but after a rough start, she is amazing!

Her brother catches her doing burlesque, and is very upset and runs off in a huff, while she chases him to explain.

And many, many more.

A part that made me laugh was when she takes the stage for the first time, but has problems dancing to a slow song for no reason (people grumbling and shaking their heads at her dancing), so her DJ boyfriend changes the music to a fast beat song, and suddenly she is incredible! (And the crownd starts cheering and smiling).

This movie is watchable just once because Mary Elizabeth Winstead is in it, and she is just gorgeous, and talented. However, I didn't believe her kissing and make-out scenes. There didn't seem to be any chemistry with her boyfriend. Plus you have seen this all before in movies like Coyote Ugly, or Bulesque, and they did it better.

This film is about a young woman who works against all odds towards achieving her dream as a dancer.

"Make It Happen" is a predictable feel good movie. It has got all the ingredients to be a cheesy film. It has trendy danceable music, cool dance moves, great looking people, the jealous enemy; even the obligatory shopping scenes! As for the plot, there is no beating around the bush. Just six minutes into the film, there is already a dance audition. The pacing is fast, but it does not feel rushed. The dance moves are energetic and vibrant, which makes it a joy to watch.

"Make It Happen" gives the right youthful energy which makes viewers feel good. It is a great popcorn flick to turn your brain off. Just forget all the clichés, sit back and enjoy it.

I don't mean for one moment to impugn the skills of filmmaker Darren Grant, or writers Duane Adler or Nicole Avril; there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to make a movie that's effectively one's own take on a "tried and true" genre. And the contributions of all on hand are competent - no one here is incapable. I will say, however, that I understand the criticism and broadly weak-kneed response: in every aspect of the writing, in the direction and cinematography down to specific shots, and the editing down to discrete sequencing, this is a movie so familiar and well-trodden that it's kind of awkward and laughable for the fact of it. Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, trying to Make It in the big city and pursue her dream of Something Or Other amidst conflicting pressures? Been there, done that, countless times. This doesn't mean 'Make it happen' can't be enjoyable and worthwhile on its own merits, though it does mean that unless one has a particular reason to seek this out over or in addition to any of its brethren, you're not especially missing anything.

With that said, if one does find themselves with an opportunity to watch this, there is nonetheless much to appreciate. There's some meaningful cleverness and heart in the screenplay, recognizable though it is. I greatly admire Karyn Wagner's fetching costume design, and the work of the hair and makeup artists - has the star's hair EVER been more full and luscious? The production design and art design, likewise, are simply splendid. The soundtrack is a total blast, and I say that as someone who for the vast majority of her life never listened to any manner of dance or pop music; less notable, Paul Haslinger's score is still swell in and of itself. I genuinely love Tracy Phillips' choreography, and every person dancing shows fabulous, tremendous skill that in and of itself might actually be enough to make this worthwhile - I have two left feet, and they're on backwards, and I'm jealous. And for that matter, I think the cast give fine performances. Tessa Thompson, Karen LeBlanc, Riley Smith, and others breathe meaningful life into their characters.

The biggest surprise of all, though, is surely Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I think she's a fantastic actress, and she's demonstrated time and again why she's so in demand and so beloved. We've grown accustomed, however, to seeing her in roles that accentuate wry humor that pairs so handily with her specific vocal timbre. 'Make it happen' rather seems to allow an illustration of range well outside the norm, and I'll be the first to admit that I never took her as someone who's got some moves. The joke's on me, though, because she absolutely nails it here, to the point that alongside dance and choreography at large, Winstead's involvement may also be a singular reason to check out this little flick.

Even at its best this isn't something so stupendous as to utterly demand viewership; I repeat that we've definitely seen this before by other names. But it's still entertaining. Everyone involved put in excellent work, especially those behind the scenes, choreographer Phillips, and the cast. This might be "only a dance movie," but the combination of song and step is earnestly invigorating, and it's impossible not to get swept up in the spectacle at least a little bit. It may be a light piece of formulaic fluff, yet that's all it needs to be for its specific few points of luminosity to shine brightly. Recommended most of all for fans of Winstead or of dance, 'Make it happen' might not be an essential must-see, but it's a good time all on its own, and sometimes that's all a picture needs to be.