THIS treads familiar territory, harking back to those “let’s put a show on right here” movies of yesteryear, like Cliff in The Young Ones more than 50 years ago.
A group of kids must raise the cash to save their youth club from closure by big bad developers wanting to turn it into a car park. Rather than mugging old ladies for their pension, these modern youngsters decide to stage a talent show (eat your heart out, Simon Cowell) and combine it with a challenge that sees their newly formed dance troupe take on an established street crew.
The U certificate is the clue that All Stars isn’t going to offend anyone with its make-believe world where street violence, poor families and benefits cuts don’t exist. It’s like one of those old Children’s Film Foundation pictures where the real world is forgotten in favour of a celluloid dreamland.
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of escapism (especially with half-term on the horizon) and as this comes from the makers of StreetDance, you can be sure the dancing will be good. In fact, the scenarios includes a couple of fantasy sequences incorporating ballroom dancing (with John Barrowman, no less) and martial arts.
Theo Stevenson, last seen on screen as Horrid Henry, and Sky TV’s Got To Dance winner Akai Osei-Mansfield are fine as the schoolboys who decide to save The Garage youth centre after the manager (Ashley Jensen) fails to block plans to demolish it.
Their newly formed street dance crew consists of the expected motley bunch – a posh brother and sister, a feisty tomboy and a lad who has trouble tying his shoelaces let alone dance.
Among the adults are such recognisable faces as Kimberly Walsh, Ashley Walters, Javine Hylton and Mark Heap but essentially All Stars is a film about kids for kids.
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