Jared Penske

Just how many times can Tara and Christian breakup and get back together with a ton of ignored voicemails in between? Apparently one more time. Just how self-obsessed, self-centered, and problem-causing can Tara be? Apparently even more so. Just how inexplicably lucky and destined to screw-up can Kat be? Apparently it's never enough (yet the next time she'll probably be even more lucky and screw up even harder). How many times can Ben get sick and not die? Apparently yet again. And so on. The movie is an extension of the television series and brings forward almost all of its problems. While it's laudable that they use actors who actually dance, Tara again shows none of the charisma, flare, and artistry that indicates she has the potential to be the dancer of her generation, let alone in the corps de ballet of a national dance troop, Nor does she convey any of the emotional thought that would indicate it, But she is ready to be a negative influence in the lives of those around her and shrug off any responsibility for it. Worse yet, the film shrugs it off too. Ben is clearly too sick to go off and dance with her, which she's warned about. But she goes through with it anyway for her own sake, and, predictably, Ben winds up in the hospital and she doesn't even acknowledge her role in it (she at least would have in the television series, but she's grown cold while remaining naïve). At least Christian hasn't abandoned everyone to go off to brood for an indeterminate amount of time and then return as if nothing happened. Now he just broods and, as if it were possible, is even more sullen, but without the edge. And once again, Ollie's sexuality not only is downplayed, while heterosexism rages on, but it's completely ignored (there was a missed chance in the brief time Ollie and Ben danced together, which we didn't even get to see -- God forbid they go there.) As with the television series, Abigail again was the most evolved, complex, and interesting character, and she makes this at least somewhat worth watching (she was always the best and most interesting part of the television series). And the convoluted ending: Tara's decision not to be a dancer but sort of to be a dancer anyway and just hop into the choreographer-director role, happily and unrealistically flying over a few critical steps. Again, we see no indication she's actually good at it. Dance Academy could have ended with the television series just fine. The movie added nothing but only continued the problems. At least it was well-shot and overall watchable for the quality of acting, which is quite good -- except for Tara -- in spite of what they're given.