SummaryTake the Lead is a drama inspired by the true story of Pierre Dulaine, an inspirational Manhattan dance teacher and competitor who volunteers his time to teach ballroom dancing to a diverse group of New York inner-city high school students serving detention. (New Line Cinema)
Directed By:Liz Friedlander
Written By:Dianne Houston
Take the Lead
Metascore
Mixed or Average
55
User score
Generally Favorable
6.3
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
55
37% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
60% Mixed
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
75
Surprisingly charming and well-acted.
70
This inspirational vehicle, based on a true story, is as hokey as it sounds, and it sometimes cuts too fast to allow us to see the dancing properly. But as in "Saturday Night Fever," the sense of reality giving way to fantasy on a dance floor is potent, and writer Dianne Houston and director Liz Friedlander are so sincere that they make much of it work.
63
Inspired by a true story (translation: a lot of it is made up), the movie shucks its corn straight from the cob. But it's no less engaging for that, thanks to the enthusiasm of the young cast and the fusion of classic dance with hip-hop moves courtesy of Rich and Tone Talauega.
60
Things hold together longer than they would have without Banderas' commanding, committed performance.
50
Put the tango in "To Sir, With Love," and you've got Take the Lead.
50
Take the Lead, despite its nifty concept and fiery leading man, feels sloppy and rushed.
33
Antonio Banderas is a charming and talented man, but in Take the Lead he lays on the old-world panache so thick - the accent, the flowery courtliness, the romance of romance - that he comes off like Dracula's metrosexual cousin.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.3
48% Positive
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
38% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
14% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
Jun 19, 2019
8
This is kind **** pleasure of mine. The movie itself is fairly predictable and cliche in some parts, but there is something about it that engages me regardless. The bad reviews sadden me, because while they are all accurate for the most part, this movie really gets me engaged in the characters, (only some, others are pretty one dimensional or annoying) and their stories. The satisfaction of watching these students aspire and work towards an unlikely dream makes this a very "feel good" kind of movie, despite not actually being that great as a film objectively. Maybe not worth going to see in theaters when it was released, but definitely worth 3 dollars on YouTube in my books.
Production Company:
- New Line Cinema
- Tiara Blu Films
Release Date:Apr 7, 2006
Duration:1 h 58 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:Never Follow.
Awards
Imagen Foundation Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Teen Choice Awards
• 2 Nominations
Black Reel Awards
• 1 Nomination
