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Pretty Good

Fresh and Exciting

Absolutely the worst movie.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

I was so excited to watch this movie because Witney Carson is one of my favorite dance pros. I was curious to see how this movie would be because I wasn't sure that she had any acting chops. Well, I can't blame this movie on her. She has some serious dance talent, but the script was so poorly written in my opinion, that no one even had a chance. The dance scenes were your typical run of the mill dance movie scenes, and the dialogue was almost uncomfortable to watch. The story didn't flow very well either. It was so choppy. Hard to follow. At one time the father is trying to keep his daughter away from the dishwasher by getting her to date the head bell boy, and they within a few minutes he accepts it like nothing was ever said between them. Very strange story and hard to follow. The two positive things I can say though were that the dance scenes were colorful and cheerful, and even though Witney didn't need any exposure because she is so popular already due to DWTS, it gets the casts names out there for other potential roles.

This movie gets a 3 only because the actors (if you can call them that) can dance really well. The dancing was fun to watch. That's it for the good stuff. The acting. Where to begin? So wooden and awful! This movie seemed like a parody that a late night comedian would put out...it was laughably bad. Including the part where Ken, the main actor, said "I just need some SPACE right now!" Wow. High School Musical and Step Up were INFINITELY better than this movie, and that is saying something. The main girl, Whitney Carson, was not so bad, but everyone else, from her dad to the "Captain," we're just weak.

DANCIN' IT'S ON (2015) is amateurish on most levels and boasts some of the worst acting I've seen on the big screen in decades, but it has crude charm and a consistent vitality that I found quite endearing and loads of fun. It's set in an alternate universe (identified on screen as Panama City Beach, Florida) where random people break out into spontaneous dance numbers at all hours of the day at the drop of a hat. What's not to love? The hoary plot has to do with a rich girl who loves to dance staying at her father's hotel for the summer who falls in love with a dishwasher who's a great dancer while her disapproving father has lined up his snotty protégé as the intended suitor for her, leading to all sorts of class conflict clichés that went out of favor decades ago. All this is just an excuse for two things: a steady stream of dance numbers and frequent infomercial spots extolling the virtues of Panama City Beach as a tourist resort. That's actually not a bad trade-off, especially since it leads to an exhilarating dance finale at the Florida Statewide Dance Contest where true love wins out and competing couples dance their hearts out.Witney Carson, from the TV show, "Dancing with the Stars," plays the lead character, Jennifer, and she's awfully cute and a skilled dancer even if her line readings sound like...well, line readings! Her co-star, with the unwieldy name of Chehon Wespi-Tschopp, actually puts some effort into creating his character, Ken, the dishwasher-dancer, and deserves some props for trying, even if some acting lessons are still in order. He hails from the show, "So You Think You Can Dance." The other young performers are noticeably lacking in charisma, although the dreadlocked Russell Ferguson, also from "So You Think You Can Dance," brings abundant good cheer and punctuates the proceedings with trademark arm and hand moves from the "Electric Boogie" school of dance that flourished 30 years ago. He plays the youthful but all-knowing hotel doorman, known as "the Captain," and shows up as the MC at the big dance contest.My favorite sequence finds poor Jennifer, brooding after a breakup, sitting alone on a bench on a darkened shopping street in downtown Panama City Beach at night, suddenly interrupted by a row of SUVs turning on their lights and a Latin band, complete with percussion section, suddenly appearing to perform while a hundred dancers descend on the street to execute a highly-choreographed number into which they pull the awestruck Jennifer. Now THAT's an alternate universe I can enjoy.The only name actors in it are Gary Daniels, an English martial arts performer known to me from FIST OF THE NORTH STAR (1995) and THE EXPENDABLES (2010), who plays Jennifer's father, and David Winters, renowned for playing A-rab, one of the Jets in WEST SIDE STORY (1961). Winters also co-wrote, produced and directed the film. He appears as an elderly hotel resident who reveals his dance background to the young leads at a crucial moment and offers his assistance as they prepare for the dance contest. At one point, Ken, the dishwasher, looks up Winters' character on the computer and finds an old dance clip of his from a TV show from decades ago. I wish I knew where that clip is from. Winters dedicates the film to Sadie Winters, presumably his mother, "who is up there dancing with the angels," and to Gene Kelly, the legendary Hollywood musical star, who inspired him to take up dance.I saw the film at a 42nd Street multiplex on a weekday afternoon knowing very little about it beforehand. As far as I know, it didn't even get reviewed. I was the only one in the theater. I attended an advance screening of SPECTRE at the same theater later that day, packed with people, and I can assure you I had more fun with DANCIN' IT'S ON than I did with SPECTRE.As of this writing, I'm the only one I know who's even heard of this film, let alone seen it. This has all the makings of a cult film, but it needs a way to find its cult. If any film qualifies to be this generation's BREAKIN' 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO, it's this one.

David Winters has made a full career in showbiz from his start on Broadway and film in the best musical ever made; West Side Story. 60 plus years as a producer/director/choreographer has not stopped him from always delivering the goods. Dancin' - It's On! is his latest and best film of his career. The movie is a cinematic event that I was hoping to see on the big screen, and my local multiplex just happened to provide me with an hour and a half of pure entertainment. Dancin'-It's On is a confection, a box of candy on screen, sweet and familiar. A schmaltzy storyline that is right out of the 60's, a modern fairytale with the princess and the pauper romance with all the trimmings including a noble footman, a fairy godfather, a hard head king and a beautiful castle filled with clowns and mimes and dancers. Set in Panama City, Florida at a lush resort, let the movie be!Winters has made an energetic and wildly fun dance picture with beautiful new talent, giving himself a plum role of the saintly godfather who teaches the young and handsome leads to win the big dance off. Action Icon Gary Daniels is the unwilling hotel magnate father who won't stand for it. Clichés are all here, but the fun part of this movie is it's nostalgic charm in a fresh package.Little things make this movie fun, like a concierge spouting Shakespeare, a doorman named Captain who pops into dance with everyone he greets. A recreation of the "fun day out" sequence from "Viva Las Vegas" (Winters taught Elvis to dance in that), "the angry dance" from Footloose, and a show stopping street dance right out of a Jerome Robbins play. Witney Carson is a cherubic young princess and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp as the dishwasher with all the right moves. Dazzling editing and scenic shots really work well, but the dancing is everything in a musical and this is a great showcase for talented people. Even Winters get to bust a move! Make time to see it in a theater and have a fun time. Enjoy!