Feel the Beat (2020) User Reviews

Formulaic Family Fun

[Neon_Gold · 5/10 · 22 June 2020]

Is this a bad movie? No I don't think so. Would I ever want to watch it again? Same answer.

It is really really family friendly stuff. Like the whole family can sit down on a Sunday night and watch this. Or like you can stick it on to keep the kids happy during Quarantine or the summer holidays.

Did I find anything in this movie remotely funny? No but I'm not a 9 year old so maybe they would. I sometimes struggle to tell if a younger audience would find stuff funny. When I was a kid would I have found this movie funny, no probably not.

So it's easy watching and like "feel good" I guess. So you could stick it on your children and maybe watch it with them unless you have something better to do.

Charming and cute story about kids dancers making it big in a small quiet town.

[cruise01 · 6/10 · 20 June 2020]

Feel the Beat (3 out of 5 stars).

Feel the Beat is a cute fair family film. When big shot dancer April (Sofia Carlson) blows an audition that turns bad. She moves back home to a small town where she tries to teach and coach a bunch of young girls dancers. Soon enough, they make go on a competition tour.

The plot is cute and charming. It can be predictable with its story. April lost the big leagues in dancing. And teaches a group of girls that has yet to compete. The girls and April do not easily get along. When the girls are looking up to her. But April is critical. She also runs into her former boyfriend which she ran out on cause she wanted to move to the city. And he stayed in there home town.

The direction and script is cheesy. With cheesy dialgoue. Can be cringing with its direction. But it tries to have a lot of fun.

Sofia Carlson is good with the role. She is fun. Charming. And beautiful.

Found this by random, stayed because it did entertain

[kysta · 7/10 · 30 October 2021]

Reading the varied reviews and what was enjoyable about this movie was the good and the bad that others have pointed out.

Is it perfect? No....is it funny, sad, cringe worthy and endearing at same time...yes!

Unlikable main character

[Gordon-11 · 16 August 2020]

I didn't like this film at all, because the main character shouts at children. She's just full of herself, and I can't stand her.

Pretty cute actually

[Calicodreamin · 7/10 · 1 July 2020]

Is it Oscar worthy? No. But it's still pretty cute, just the right amount of cliche that hits you in the feel goods. Obviously low budget, but doesn't try to outdo itself. Pretty good acting, not too bad of a script. Just another mindless feel good underdog story, and I'm here for it.

Sweet movie but more mature than G

[kkkent777 · 7/10 · 3 July 2020]

Look up this movie on plugged in online for a more thorough review. IMBD was lacking some information and I felt it was more mature than the rating given such as language and sensuality.

A charming dance movie

[Sir_AmirSyarif · 6/10 · 22 June 2020]

A little cliché and some of the messaging can be over the top at times but 'Feel the Beat' is a well-made routine dance movie that has the ability to leave its audience with a smile and a great warm feeling.

Remember the little bullied girl?

[krebsk09 · 4/10 · 16 August 2020]

I was so excited to watch the little girl who Sofia Carson's girl bullied into crying in the bathroom come back and kill it....except that didn't happen. I'm so depressed. That little girl never got her chance to dance! Nor was she apologized too. I'm so sad

Thrilling and fun

[malseeds · 8/10 · 6 December 2020]

I expected this to be goofy and probably subpar but at least entertaining. It actually ended up being much better than I expected with fun storylines that kept me enthralled.

As a movie, it was splendidly fun and often took itself seriously one moment only to play around the next, keeping the pace and story alive and fun the whole way through. Sofia Carson also got to flex her intense skill in dance after years in The Descendants while also giving some serious proof that she's a great actress.

This is absolutely worth the watch.

Cute...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 1 July 2020]

The protagonist so greasy, irritating, feisty, and superb that it almost made me hate the movie, but those little girls, and the little boy, stole my heart ... Very cute, she even managed to tear me away ... Very cute ...

Far from "feel good"

[johnblythe · 3/10 · 7 September 2020]

Ok, let's get past the fact that it's the incredibly tired "adult with aspirations takes advantage of kids' dreams to realize them" plot. While tired, it can still be both feel good and done well (eg Disney's recent "Magic Camp").

The big problem with THIS particular variation on the theme is that the adult is a completely and utterly horrible person. She belittles and demeans then kids consistently throughout the movie WHILE taking advantage of them.

The protagonist is hardly that and in the end has no natural arc into redemption, yet, like is always the case, wins the competition, gets the boy, and lands her dream job. Yipee. Meanwhile little girls are taught to be used and abused. "Feel good" feels a bit off on this one.

Thanks for making my Father's Day!

[capobanda007 · 8/10 · 22 June 2020]

It's hard to find a feel good film these days. And as a father of three young daughters I appreciate this film. It was fun, clean and beautiful!

Good film which really made me feel happy.

[yushikou · 7/10 · 24 August 2020]

Sofia Carson is amazing in this film. This film is so good. The base of this film is music, and the story is very good.

AWFUL, CRINGE-WORTHY WASTE!

[darthsteele-39338 · 1/10 · 21 August 2020]

Our lead character is a self-centered opportunist from the first scene through the last! It's impossible to root for her because she is a soulless shrew all the way through with absolutely zero character development. AND A DANCE DOUBLE DOES ALL OF HER REAL DANCING! Sure the kids are cute. Same-o same-o. Same formula as School of Rock but that's where the similarities ends. School of rock is excellent this movie is NOT. I was also shocked and saddened when I saw Mia Michaels credited as choreographer. She is brilliant. But I don't know how she went wrong with this production. Simply stated, don't waste your time with this garbage.

Feel the Beat, Feel good

[ropelawshiel · 7/10 · 16 December 2021]

This is a beautiful formulaic film, it ticks all the tropes, and I love it. The young cast is excellent in their various roles and funny as well. It won't win any Oscars, but it will win your heart and make you smile. Do we need much more?

Well, It didn't suck

[Lady_Coraline · 7/10 · 14 October 2020]

This movie actually has kind the feeling of the 2020 version of The 'Step Up' movies, which I really liked as a kid. So it's good to know that this genre isn't dead, and there are still cute movies like this out there. It really is a good family movie. Especially if your family includes members who will always have a warm corner in their hearts for dancing.

Real life reflection

[ks-60500 · 6/10 · 17 August 2020]

It's not about the story how touching, inspiring it is but learn how to get along with someone you disliked, face the fears and reality of life is. The behind meaning is why I rated 6.

I wanted to like it but it fell short for me.

[crazyonyou-02466 · 4/10 · 21 June 2020]

Sure it was cute, but it lacked proper comedic timing. It was like someone was counting down to a joke or setting it up for you to know the joke was about to happen. There were also so many missing background/character builds. I literally know nothing about these kids and couldn't even keep straight which ones were which. I wish it would have focused on the relationship between the kids and the teacher instead of the high school boyfriend that got left behind. We didn't need a love story; we needed a properly developed redemption and underdog prevails story. I also feel like it went from she's horrible to she's the best way too easily, she never made ammends or apologized for anything.

School of Rock, but dancing

[kermitkid · 8/10 · 19 June 2020]

This is defintly Sofia Carson at her best. Her character in this movie is so unlikable and mean, borderline the villain in fact, which is a nice change from the teeny bopper DIsney Channel characters she usually plays. I would actually like to see a movie where she is 100% villain. I know she was Sandman's daughter in that Spider-Man episode, but I want a full movie where she's like a full psycho evil classic villain.

Ok, so plot-wise, this is pretty much beat for beat (no pun intended) School of Rock, but with dance instead of rock band, but not nearly as funny. It's predictable, yes, but still enjoyable. it feels very 90s in some parts, but I think that was kind of the point. The young kids in this film also give very believable performances. I thought this was a fun movie. Netflix lied about the rating, though. They have it listed as TV-G, but it is definitely a PG-13. Mild language, some suggestive content, some...teenage situations, let's say. It's about the same level as School of Rock (which is also PG-13) in terms of content. I hope Sofia gets more roles that show her range. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, cast her as a villain. (Evie from Descendants doesn't count. She wasn't actually a villain, she was just vain.) Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars

It's a well-meaning example of the dance competition formula with a few insights.

[JohnDeSando · 27 June 2020]

"Dance is music made visible." George Balanchine.

Feel the Beat is a shameless pre-teen dance competition musical of the kind that Pitch Perfect recently produced with the same formula for voice. And countless other competitions in film history.

What saves it from being the most saccharine, unimaginative film of the year is its unabashed sincerity that these adolescents--one chubby, one deaf, one poor, one boy, et. al.-- could survive a competition by sheer will and the guidance of a gifted dance instructor. In other words, aspiration far outstrips talent.

Director Elissa Down and her writers craft an almost believable story of a small Wisconsin town that welcomes back a talented but coldly remote dancer from Broadway, April (Sofia Carson), to guide the kids, not so much to victory but to a belief in hard work to achieve a goal, regardless of whether or not the goal is achieved.

Life lessons in the rough road to success are what these musical fantasies are all about, and Feel the Beat gives plenty of routines to show how rigorous the competition is in the heartland. Although some of the adults act goofy, and not all the kids are talented, the spirit is what counts.

In fact, this musical has nothing new to add to the genre except its seeming sincerity about the complicated nature of growing up. Commitment is the word that regularly crops up from April's abandoning the town to go to NYC to boyfriend Nick's (Wolfgang Novogratz) staying in town for a noble cause. The film doesn't ram home the pop culture staples of dedication to family and home; it just shows the virtues of staying true to the ones you love.

Feel the Beat misses most of the beats of great filmmaking, but it wins an award for trying. That's even what the film is about.

Enjoyed, You get what you expected (6.6)

[asikameryl · 6/10 · 24 June 2020]

Okay first of all, this kids movies always started with trailer which sells and gives too much of the story. So I'm pretty much well-informed.

The conflict starter is really... cliche.. a dreamer who failed and try to get it together. The story progress is also what you expected in family movie. Problem - hero tries to conquer - hero fails - hero tries again - hero succeeds - hero fails big time - hero prevails - and all is save. I must but commend the essence of the movie, it's light and bundles childish humour (i must admit i laughed a couple of times), a decent character developement and a great choreographer. I must say the dancing is what you expect of hollywood movie, the lead dancer's technique i must admit is very good, a nice posture, power and attitude, though the styling could be better.

I wouldn't say it's all that inspiring, there's aspects of reality, (but because it's a family movie) some things are make-believes and impossible to happen in reality. But it's indeed enjoyable!

What a stupid plot before the final

[Siberkop · 4/10 · 2 March 2022]

I mean that Willy Wang guy is part of an ongoing dance competition but in the same time asked the competitor to be part of his project. Leaving he student dancers to do everything by themselves. Although to be fair she came back to do the finale with them. Overall it was fun but the plot I mentioned above just so illogical.

A feel good movie for sure! (Light Spoilers, not plot ruining)

[monkeygurl2292 · 8/10 · 23 June 2020]

If you ever watched "Honey" (2003 I think)... well this is like the updated version of that. It's a fun movie about a big city girl who has to get creative about making her "Big Break" and finds a new passion (or two, and maybe an old one haha) along the way. There is love, laughter and general light heartedness throughout the movie. There are definitely worse ways to spend 2 hours these days.

FEEL-GOOD MOVIE

[emmasuther · 6/10 · 19 June 2020]

Loved it! It's a typical teen-movie with love problems, career issues, feeling like the whole world is against you and the whole starting at the bottom and finishing at the top thing but I really liked it! The storyline was good and the child-actors were surprisingly good for their young age. The movie made me feel like I could do anything if I just work hard for it and that's a good feeling.

To finish of I must complement the casting. The actors all fitted their characters so well and with Sofia Carson and Wolfgang Novogrsyz in it, how could it be bad?

Dance 10, Logic 3

[catopeblas · 3/10 · 21 June 2020]

Fun family film with impressive dance routines from its actors, just don't put too much thought into its story. Too many inconsistencies with its sequence of events with little to zero logic into its execution (ie. April doesn't have a strong back story for her attitude that dwells throughout the whole movie)