Make It Happen (2008)

just bought the above DVD from my local video chain outlet (ie. Video Ezy) where i'm blessed to have it in my possession as my country (ie. Malaysia) has a fairly high amount of pirated DVD's products which causes licensed video shops to have limited movie titles...

well, to start off, apparently there were some deleted scenes in the movie where the producer / director decided to remove the story of Dana (ie.Tessa Thompson) getting pregnant and subsequent miscarriage....

due to this removal, i guess viewers could not fully appreciate the close relationship between Lauryn (ie.Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Dana which the scriptwriter wanted to relay but was unfortunately chopped… in summary, some of the movie story reflected Mary's personal real life experiences such as being a ballerina when Lauryn was young, has taste for "off-the-beaten-track" music as composed by Russ (ie. Riley Smith) and I guess due to her holding steadfast to her personal principles, there were no revealing love or kissing scenes in the movie – hurray to Mary! Initially, I've watched this movie over YouTube but now with my TV, I could better appreciate Mary's expressive eyes and innocent looks which I guess you all guys are all infatuated to, like myself…ha..ha… happy viewing…

Fmovies: It was no surprise that, throughout Make It Happen's 80-minutes duration, one would find this latest dance flick (helmed by occasional music director, Darren Grant) riddled with the most tiresome and obnoxious clichés that the genre could offer across its existence. Yes, to be fair, the film seems to be borrowing each scene from similarly plotted features. Yet, in one way or another, Make It Happen seems to present all of them just that better.

One of the flick's greatest and most undeniable asset would be lead Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who displays some of her best work here. It's hard not to swoon for Winstead, who switches from ferocious, limb-swinging urban dancer to ingénue, down-to-earth, corn-fed small town girl with impressive and flawless flair. She seems born for the role, radiating an unbelievable amount of charm, and drawing life into a well-written character. Despite having been supplied with a prosaic script, Winstead performs admirably well, both on and offstage.

Regardless of Winstead's poetic beauty, the film lacks a substantial screenplay, and every line feels tacky and uninspired. It's safe to say that the film is no more scripted than it is choreographed. Adler's libretto felt unremarkably familiar, and, with or without hindsight, you could almost tell how the film will unfold before the lights dim down. It was fortunate that the rest of the troops, though never coming close to stealing the show (leave that to Winstead), played their - stereotypical - parts adequately, with the provocative Julissa Bermudez standing out exiguously.

The film's lack of flesh on show is an affront to the cast's sensual, slinky sex appeal, and it is hard to find that the clubgoers are majorly made up of cheering females, rather than drooling guys. However, the dances are already enticing in nature, so more skin would not have been necessary, but simply more effective. Speaking of, the dance sequences are entertainingly beautiful, aided with a catchy soundtrack, and as a whole, undeniably a visual and aural delight - a testament to the eyes and ears.

Make It Happen is not much a film rather than a montage of energetic dance romps, connected solely by filler sequences enlaced with drama and romance. That said, they are good sequences of drama, as Winstead's verisimilar approach to her character enlivens each of the film's dramatic scenes. The same cannot be said for the sequences of romance though. Try as they might, the pairing of Winstead and Smith lacks chemistry, and as a result, the film is forced to present a dull romance that you couldn't care for. It doesn't help that Smith's character is near unlikable - as another critic put it - "a smarmy douche".

All the same, Grant's experience in the music video industry helped a lot here. Stunning cinematography entwine each scene, and the dance sequences are nothing short of being optically magnificent. Although there might not be much to entertain those with a passionate dislike of this variety, it is nevertheless a fine installment into the dance genre. Make It Happen passes as both a short, drama film entwined with great dance sequences, and an overtly long, energetic music video interweaved with filler drama scenes. However you put it, I believe Make It Happen is still a decent film.

Verdict: Darren Grant has crafted an enjoyable popcorn dance flick, an improvement over the recent additions to the genre. There's still much room for improvement, but Winstead's

Following the success of dance spectacles such as 'Stomp The Yard', 'Save The Last Dance' and 'You Got Served', film goers now have 'Make It Happen'Â…but can it step up to its predecessors and dance up a box-office storm??? Like its forerunners, 'Make It Happen' follows a generic storyline. Country gal' Lauryn (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) leaves hicks ville to pursue dancing in the big smokeÂ…only to be bitterly disappointed when her audition for the Chicago School of Music and Dance ends up a spectacular flop. Dreams shattered, Lauryn finds work at seedy burlesque club 'Ruby's'. Here she meets disc jockey Russ (Riley Smith), where an inevitable spark is lit between the two. Pretty soon her dance career heats up also; she takes center stage, performing burlesque/hip-hop fusions to a screaming audience each night. It is at 'Ruby's' where Lauryn is forced to reevaluate her dreams, her family, her life and loveÂ…taking her on the ultimate journey of self discoveryÂ… Lauryn's transformation from heavily made-up, sexy country hick to heavily made-up, sexy dancerÂ…is nothing short ofÂ…wellÂ…nothing. Lauryn is a flat, uninspired, martyr who comes across as the ultimate dripÂ…a wet blanket some might say. Winstead has a certain screen presenceÂ…yet the script dumbs down any moments of authenticity in her performance. The supporting cast is not worth mentioning; they play it by the numbers and it's all a very trite.

"But who gives a Shiite about the characters and story?" I hear you say…"We're all watching it for the dancing!" Surely a film with such a wafer thin plot and stale protagonists would compensate with breathtaking, sexy and exhilarating dance sequences…right? WRONG. When the dance sequences should be sizzling, they end up fizzling…when they are about to pack a punch, they give the audience a floppy and limp wrist. They are competently filmed, and edited with a sense of rhythm, yet memorable moments = ZILL. The film attempts to explore the somewhat risqué style of burlesque dance…but wants to keep a PG rating…so everything about 'Ruby's' feels completely toned down.

For a dance movie, there is very little dancing. Unfortunately this means the audience sits through excessive amounts of predictable dialog before anything remotely exciting happens. At times it almost reaches "it's so lame it's good!" statusÂ…but never quite gets there. 'Make It Happen' really doesn't make anything happen at allÂ…save your money and watch highlights of So You Think You Can Dance on You Tube.

Make It Happen fmovies. How do you approach a dance movie? I feel that the story takes a firm back seat, in providing a wafer thin excuse to string some opportunities for dancing onto the screen. Granted there are some excellent story lines that come once in a while, but most times, you'd get the rudimentary dancer character who has to prove that he/she can dance to a group of nay-sayers consisting of peers or snooty judges, fall in love, and of course to rise above all challenges to claim the prize / gain acceptance from the community.

Brought to us from the writer of movies such as The Step Up and Save The Last Dance movies, here comes something that doesn't disappoint, in that it sticks to formula so that you know what to expect, nothing more or less. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who played John McClane's grown up daughter in Die Hard 4, and scream queen in Final Destination 3) takes on the mantle of the downtrodden dancer wannabe Lauryn, who felt that she's responsible for the family garage business, until she decides to pursue her dream by leaving the small town, and head for the bright lights in the big city.

Her audition with the Chicago School of Music and Dance was a complete washout, and confidence shaken, takes to the temp-ing at a lounge called Ruby's, where she helps to cook the books. But you can bet your last dollar that this is the venue with which she'll fall in love, with a fellow music engineer Russ (Riley Smith), while lapping the coincidental opportunities for her to showcase some of her moves, before becoming an established member of the pussycat dolls of dance.

Story aside, which packed a wallop with superficial antsy challenges from established peers, an unforgiving brother who couldn't fathom her passion, and a boyfriend who can't wait to get into her pants, coupled with the nagging thought of failure and that she's no good for the Ivy League school for dance, we're really here for the set dance pieces, aren't we? There aren't many of them which stood out, given that they aren't as innovative or fused some genres together to come up with an amalgam of moves, though the character of Lauryn probably was supposed to show how an unpolished gem got to go through the paces at a club, before coming through and achieving success by her measure.

And the lounge setting does provide for some sensual, provocative costumes to drape the lithe and tall frame of Winstead's, though I had to admit I thought her assortment of hoods, wigs and the likes provided for some convenient cover-up for a body double to take over, until of course I read that she had some background in dance. There are some routines that I genuinely liked, but the one at the finale, which should be the mother of all moves in any dance movie, was the one that seriously packed a punch, with improvisation, and a combination of ballet with hip-hop, without being too obvious or conscious about it.

Yes, you've seen one you've seen them all, at least for the narrative aspect. If you're patient to sit through the dramatic portions, you'll find yourself cheering with the crowd when the dancers take to the platform. Soundtrack too was nothing short of expectations, and I give it brownie points for the inclusion of a disco retro.

I saw Make it Happen this morning and thoroughly enjoyed the film. I found the plot to be intelligent, original, interesting and emotionally engaging. I thought all of the characters in some way evoked my sympathy and the standard of acting was excellent. I enjoyed the romance and felt there was real 'chemistry' in those scenes. There wasn't as much dancing and music as I expected, but for me that didn't matter since I was more interested in the story. (Having said that, I enjoyed what dancing and music there was very much!) I don't see why anyone of a romantic nature (male or female) wouldn't thoroughly enjoy this film. It has everything I look for in a movie - and plenty of it. Highly recommended.

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.