All Stars

This fantastic feel good film is aimed at older kids and is spot on. From the producers of Horrid Henry and Street Dance it hits cinemas on May 3rd.

With the grittier side of London as a back drop, it makes a pleasant change from the usual tourist sights that usually grace our screens. It feels more real for showing the graffiti and council estates.

Ethan (Theo Stevenson) lives with his Mum on one such estate and has the difficult task of trying to get together a crew to out dance a rival to impress the girl of his dreams.

The dance off is to take place at a charity talent night contest at the soon to be demolished youth club ’The Garage’. He enlists the help of new found friend Jayden (Akai Osei-Mansfield) to teach him and four other kids how to street dance.

There are so many things to like about this film. You can’t help but want Ethan to come out on top who despite being a bad boy, cries when his estranged dad lets him down again. You feel for the girl next door who has always had eyes for Ethan but has always been seen as a friend.

The need to conform, the need to stand out and just the need to cope with every day life are all addressed in this film in a way that will really appeal to teens. It sensitively deals with the issues it raises, lone parenting, parent pressure, a child caring for their parent, youth clubs being closed down and the need for kids to sometimes just be kids.

Not surprisingly, the dancing is amazing and you could go and see this film for nothing else and have a great night out but there’s so much more to it than that.

It’s funny, it’s sweet, I loved it!