MAKE IT HAPPEN (PG)

2:40pm Thursday 7th August 2008

Drama/Romance. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Riley Smith, Tessa Thompson, Julissa Bermudez, Ashley Roberts, John Reardon, Karen LeBlanc. Director: Darren Grant.

A winning dance film hinges on two key factors: a lithe, attractive cast who can convincingly shimmy and shake, and breathtaking, inventive choreography.

Make It Happen strikes it lucky with leading lady Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who trained as a dancer and can perform a dizzying array of pirouettes, somersaults, leg kicks and splits without breaking a sweat.

Her co-stars are equally flexible, spinning and twisting gracefully with all manner of props including umbrellas and a microphone stand.

Unfortunately, Darren Grant's modern day fairytale loses its footing on the second point, failing to set our hearts racing when the dream-chasing heroine has to prove her worth in the spotlight with her self-taught amalgam of acrobatics, ballet, street dance and burlesque.

The grandstand finale - a make-or-break second audition at a prestigious dance school - is especially weak, busting many of the same moves, which so displeased the waspish tutors the first time round.

When the film's token bitch on heels snarls, "You shouldn't be on that stage," we're reluctantly inclined to agree.

Lauryn (Winstead) has always nurtured dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

Unfortunately, the death of her parents forces a rethink and Lauryn resigns herself to keeping the family auto repair shop afloat with brother Joel (Reardon) by working as the company bookkeeper.

Out of hours, she practises night and day for her audition at the Chicago School of Music & Dance. Alas, the audition panel is unimpressed by Lauryn's routine.

She seeks solace in a cafe where waitress Dana (Thompson) takes pity on Lauren, offering a place to stay and securing her a job as a bookmaker at Ruby's, the burlesque dance club.

Make It Happen is a disappointing facsimile of screenwriter Duane Adler's previous films, Save The Last Dance, Step Up and its high-energy sequel.

Characters are caricatures, even Lauryn, and the dialogue sounds more like greeting card platitudes than natural, flowing conversation - particularly the nauseating romance between the heroine and her musical hunk.

A scene in which they listen to his first self-penned track is unintentionally hilarious.