I watched this with great expectations--everyone had told me it was a must-see. For the first 50 minutes I had absolutely no idea what anyone could possibly see in this film. The characters were all one-dimensional, the "plot" made after-school specials look good, and the storyline was completely predictable. But then the Pasadoble scene came and I was glad I'd forced myself to keep watching. If only the rest of the film could have been that good. Not long after, the movie returned to schlock status and stayed there until the end. The final dance scene is worth seeing, but of course it is--it's the morality play coming to a conclusion. Good absolutely must prevail over evil, right? The real question is how so many viewers have allowed themselves to be manipulated into liking the "good dance heals all wounds" lesson. In fact, this film was so heavy-handed it's essentially Top Gun with dancing instead of fighter jets: Outcast bad-boy wrestles with personal & social pressures but prevails in the end and gets the girl. We've been there before and know the story, which makes this film unnecessary.
Review of Strictly Ballroom
