Step Up and View this ***1/2

Rating: 9/10 (9 June 2007)

With a cast of relative unknowns, with the exception of former Oscar nominee Rachel Griffiths, this film, dealing with youngsters at a school for dramatic arts, is absolutely marvelous.
It's basically the story of changing one's environment so as to get the best out of what life offers.
When our hero is involved in school vandalism, he is sentenced to 200 community hours of service at the school where he did the damage. There, he falls in with a different crowd of youngsters. Our protagonist comes from a dysfunctional foster home where the father drinks beer all day. His two African American friends are two guys into prank making. Unfortunately, the younger brother, is afraid of nothing and he will meet a tragic ending. Again, he could not get out of his environment.
At the school, Tyler, who can dance up a storm, naturally falls for her a girl who needs a dance partner when her partner is hurt. This part of the story is highly predictable but the dancing is great and the youngsters put on great performances.