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"TAKE THE LEAD" (2006) (Antonio Banderas, Rob Brown) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Minor Heavy Moderate Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Minor Mild Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate None Moderate Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Drama: A classical dance instructor tries to inspire a group of students in detention by teaching them his material. PLOT: Pierre Dulaine (ANTONIO BANDERAS) is a classical dance instructor who gets an idea one night upon seeing an angry high school student, Rock (ROB BROWN), bashing a car owned by his principal Augustine James (ALFRE WOODARD), for her not allowing him into a dance party. Accordingly, he proposes to her that he teach Rock and the various other delinquents she has in detention through his material. She's initially reluctant, and both teacher Joe Temple (JOHN ORTIZ) and the various students think it's a bad idea. They include LaRhette (YAYA DaCOSTA) who doesn't get along with Rock due to their brothers' past interaction, and the provocative Sasha (JENNA DEWAN) who's enjoying the attention paid to her by both Ramos (DANTE BASCO) and Danjou (ELIJAH KELLEY). Then there are class clowns Eddie (MARCUS T. PAULK) and Kurd (JONATHAN MALEN), the hulking softie Monster (BRANDON ANDREWS) and others. The students only give in when Pierre threatens to play "ancient" music so loud that it hurts their ears and contemporary sensibilities, and are then swayed when he and accomplished dance student Morgan (KATYA VIRSHILAS) put on a fiery display of classic dancing for them. Joined by wallflower Caitlin (LAUREN COLLINS) who wants to fit in somewhere as well as gain confidence for her dreaded cotillion dance, the students soon begin learning the various dance steps, all while putting a fresh spin on the material. As they prepare for a big dance-off tournament toward the end of the semester, they and Pierre must contend with various challenges that threaten to derail their progress and his hopes of inspiring and transforming the students through classical dancing. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? The dancing and teen high school angle might be enticing for some, while fans of anyone in the cast might be interested in it. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For thematic material, language and some violence. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ANTONIO BANDERAS plays a polished and gentlemanly classical dance instructor who offers to teach the detention students his material. He faces opposition and indifference from them and others, but perseveres until he changes most of their lives. ROB BROWN plays a disillusioned teen with an unhappy family life who initially wants no part of Pierre's class. He uses some profanity and ends up falling in with a criminal operation, all while eventually making peace with LaRhette. YAYA DaCOSTA plays another disillusioned student whose mother is a prostitute. She clashes with Rock over him indirectly blaming her (through her brother) for his brother's death (her brother also died). ALFRE WOODARD plays the harried school principal who reluctantly takes up Pierre's offer to teach her detention students and must then defend that decision and Pierre's methods. JENNA DEWAN plays a provocative teen who enjoys having Ramos and Danjou battling over her. DANTE BASCO and ELIJAH KELLEY play those two students who clash over her. JOHN ORTIZ plays a school teacher and/or administrator who thinks Pierre's class is a nonsensical waste of time. MARCUS T. PAULK plays one of the kids in detention with a wisecracking attitude, much like the one played by JONATHAN MALEN LAUREN COLLINS plays a wallflower who wants to join Pierre's class so that she can perform at her dreaded cotillion dance. Initially rejected by the group, she eventually fits in and becomes friends with Monster. BRANDON ANDREWS plays the hulking and less than graceful student in detention who's kind at heart and takes a liking to Caitlin. KATYA VIRSHILAS plays the snobbish but accomplished dancer in Pierre's regular class who looks down on the detention students. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 7 "s" words, while other expletives (including one using a female body part) and colorful phrases are uttered. Some sexually related dialogue is present, as is some sexualized dancing, while the camera focuses on teenage girls' clothed body parts and one girl's mother is a prostitute (with a client then offering to pay the teen for sex). Violence consists of some gun pointing and a brief beating, a man starting to manhandle a teen (in a pre-rape fashion, although the rape never occurs), and some characters striking or getting physical with others while a teen bashes his principal's car with a golf club. Other potentially imitative behavior is present, and various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes. Some characters drink, a father is noted as being a drunk and there are some comments about drugs, while some tense family elements are also present. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Augustine talks of kids selling drugs. Augustine says that the school has many troubled students with issues ranging from theft to drug possession. Rock confronts his father, saying that the father has been drunk since his son's (Rock's brother's) death. Earlier, we heard his father vomit (presumably from being drunk). Pierre has a glass of wine with dinner, and when Kurd shows up at his place, the student tries to have some, but Pierre stops him. Augustine and others have wine and/or champagne. Miscellaneous people have wine. BLOOD/GORE We hear Rock's father vomit. Rock has a slight cut above his eyebrow from where a criminal punched him. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Mad that she refused him admittance to a dance party, Rock takes a golf club handed to him by two other guys and proceeds to bash and smash her car with it. The students in detention initially aren't respectful to Pierre, ranging from not listening to laughing at him. Joe is constantly at odds with Pierre and is only interested in the good students. Pierre discovers that someone has stolen his bicycle. A teen shoplifts some fruit from an outdoor market while zipping by it. Rock gives Pierre a forged doctor's note excusing him from dancing (but Pierre calls him on that and later sees him playing basketball without any difficulty). Some of the kids have bad attitudes toward Caitlin when she joins their class (but they eventually accept her). Rock confronts his father, saying that the father has been drunk since his son's (Rock's brother's) death. That prompts his father to smack and hit on Rock, followed by Rock driving his father back against a wall with his forearm to his neck. We see Rock involved in some sort of criminal enterprise involving stolen goods. It's somewhat implied that fancy audio gear some of the students bring into detention is stolen. Rock and LaRhette don't get along due to him blaming her for his brother's death (through association to her brother who was involved in drugs). They eventually change their outlook. Morgan turns out to be a snob to the students in detention. All of Pierre's students are mad at him when they learn of the high entry fee for the contest. They then walk out on him (but later are back on board when he arranges for his dance school to cover the costs). We learn that Joe turned in Augustine regarding Pierre's unorthodox class. Danjou punches Marcus (over Sasha), with Monster then having to separate them. Rock holds a handgun while his criminal partners raid some place. When Rock says he can't do this anymore, the leader holds the gun on Rock's head until Rock agrees to continue. When the leader hands the gun back to him, Rock then aims the gun at the leader. After a few tense moments, he shoots the sprinkler system, causing it to go off. The leader then tackles Rock and punches him several times on the ground. FRIGHTENING SCENES LaRhette's mother is a prostitute of some sort. One of her clients then shows up when the mom is not home (LaRhette reluctantly lets him in). He's obviously interested in her, eventually asking her if she'd like to make some money (for sex), asking, "You are your mother's daughter, right?" When she refuses, he then starts manhandling her (in a pre-rape fashion), but her mother then arrives and LaRhette flees. Rock holds a handgun while his criminal partners raid some place. When Rock says he can't do this anymore, the leader holds the gun on Rock's head until Rock agrees to continue. When the leader hands the gun back to him, Rock then aims the gun at the leader. After a few tense moments, he shoots the sprinkler system, causing it to go off. The leader then tackles Rock and punches him several times on the ground. GUNS/WEAPONS Rock holds a handgun while his criminal partners raid some place. When Rock says he can't do this anymore, the leader holds the gun on Rock's head until Rock agrees to continue. When the leader hands the gun back to him, Rock then aims the gun at the leader. After a few tense moments, he shoots the sprinkler system, causing it to go off. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "I'd say you're full of sh*t," "Fool," "Punk ass (move number two)," "Bitch," "What the hell did you do that for?" "Damn straight," "Freak," "Sit your ass down," "Knucklehead," "No freaking way," "Hell no," "You shut the hell up," "I know I suck," "Screwed up," "What the hell /are you doing here?" "Your music sucks," "I'm the butt-ugly duckling," "Hell of a class," "Losers," "This is whacked," "Hell no," "I'm so fly," "Damn right it ain't," "Rich ass," "Go to hell," "Dumb ass," "Don't trip," "You're going to have to kick some serious ass to win" and "My bad." The various dance moves, etc. might be enticing for some kids to imitate. We see miscellaneous graffiti. Mad that she refused him admittance to a dance party, Rock takes a golf club handed to him by two other guys and proceeds to bash and smash her car with it. A guy grabs his clothed crotch while on the dance floor. A teen shoplifts some fruit from an outdoor market while zipping by it. One of the girls complains about dancing with Kurd, saying she doesn't know where his hands have been. The prompts him to put his hands down inside his pants as a joking response. Morgan wears a midriff-revealing top. Pierre has a cross tattoo on his arm. Rock gives Pierre a forged doctor's note excusing him from dancing (but Pierre calls him on that and later sees him playing basketball without any difficulty). Some of the girls wear midriff-revealing tops that also show varying amounts of cleavage. One of the teens has a small tattoo on the top of her back. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A tiny bit of suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Some songs had lyrics that we couldn't fully hear or understand, thus offering the possibility of them potentially containing objectionable material. That said, one uses the "s" word, another uses the term "nigga," and others have lyrics that may be sexual in nature, such as "Shake that." PROFANITY At least 7 "s" words, 1 slang term using female genitals ("p*ssy"), 19 asses, 14 hells, 2 damns, 1 crap, 2 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use of "God." SEX/NUDITY We see a teen shaking her butt in the mirror while getting ready for a night out. One of the guys wears low-rider pants and we see the top of his underwear in them. We see cleavage on the dance floor. The camera focuses on some teenage girls' clothed butts (with some of them in shaking mode). A guy grabs his clothed crotch while on the dance floor. Augustine shows some cleavage. When Pierre says that dancing is two bodies as one, one of the boys jokes, "I'm down with that." One of the girls complains about dancing with Kurd, saying she doesn't know where his hands have been. The prompts him to put his hands down inside his pants as a joking response. The students do some slightly sexualized dancing, including one guy moving his hand back and forth to follow a girl's moving hips/butt. Seeing Pierre and Morgan doing a dance demo for them, one of the students says that it's like sex on hardwood (as the camera focuses on her clothed butt). She also shows cleavage, a bare midriff and lots of leg while dancing (prompting a student to say that Pierre is "getting his flirt on"). Some of the girls wear midriff-revealing tops that also show varying amounts of cleavage. LaRhette's mother is a prostitute of some sort. One of her clients then shows up when the mom is not home (LaRhette reluctantly lets him in). He's obviously interested in her, eventually asking her if she'd like to make some money (for sex), asking, "You are your mother's daughter, right?" When she refuses, he then starts manhandling her (in a pre-rape fashion), but her mother then arrives and LaRhette flees. About the tango, Pierre tells the boys not to get excited (about the close contact with their partners) and for the girls not to get nervous (about the same). Pierre explains the benefit of his class in that it will install confidence in his students. He then says that if a 16-year-old girl is confident, she'll be less likely to "let some guy knock her up." We see some miscellaneous cleavage. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear talk that Rock's brother has been dead almost a year. We later hear that LaRhette's brother was also killed and was involved in drugs. Rock confronts his father, saying that the father has been drunk since his son's (Rock's brother's) death. That prompts his father to smack and hit on Rock, followed by Rock driving his father back against a wall with his forearm to his neck. That then causes Rock to be kicked out of his house and he ends up sleeping at the school. Rock goes up to his front door, hears his parents arguing inside and slips some money under the door before leaving. We hear that Pierre's wife died 5 years ago. LaRhette states her dad left when she was 12. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Ways to inspire troubled kids. The historical accuracy and/or artistic license taken with the real story. We hear talk that Rock's brother has been dead almost a year. We later hear that LaRhette's brother was also killed and was involved in drugs. Augustine has photos of dead students on her office wall (just portraits of them while alive). One of the black kids makes comments about racism (in terms of what they're taught). Caitlin's low self-esteem. LaRhette says that people have left her hanging all of her life (when it appears that Rock has stood her up for the big dance contest). VIOLENCE Two guards scuffle with Rock when he wants to get into a party where he's not allowed. Mad that she refused him admittance to a dance party, Rock takes a golf club handed to him by two other guys and proceeds to bash and smash her car with it. When Pierre shows up, Rock rushes off, but is hit by a taxi and is knocked to the street (but gets up and runs off). LaRhette's mother is a prostitute of some sort. One of her clients then shows up when the mom is not home (LaRhette reluctantly lets him in). He's obviously interested in her, eventually asking her if she'd like to make some money (for sex), asking, "You are your mother's daughter, right?" When she refuses, he then starts manhandling her (in a pre-rape fashion), but her mother then arrives and LaRhette flees. Rock confronts his father, saying that the father has been drunk since his son's (Rock's brother's) death. That prompts his father to smack and hit on Rock, followed by Rock driving his father back against a wall with his forearm to his neck. Danjou punches Marcus (over Sasha), with Monster then having to separate them. LaRhette smacks Rock when the two have a tense confrontation. Rock holds a handgun while his criminal partners raid some place. When Rock says he can't do this anymore, the leader holds the gun on Rock's head until Rock agrees to continue. When the leader hands the gun back to him, Rock then aims the gun at the leader. After a few tense moments, he shoots the sprinkler system, causing it to go off. The leader then tackles Rock and punches him several times on the ground. Reviewed March 22, 2006 / Posted April 7, 2006

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