All Stars (3D/2D)

Stars: Theo Stevenson, Akai Osei-Mansfield, Ashley Jensen, Mark Heap, Hugh Dennis, Fleur Houdijk, Dominic Herman-Day, Gamal Toseafa, Kimberley Walsh, Kevin Bishop, Simon Farnaby, John Barrowman, Ashley Walters

Director: Ben Gregor

Youngsters should enjoy watching fellow youngsters strut their stuff dancing and singing in a bright British musical that cheerfully follows in the footsteps of Streetdance movies while adding a heavy flavour of that old Hollywood faithful Lets put on a show! musical (sadly Judy Garland has gone and Rooneys is a tad too old to reprise their celebrated roles).

The storys simple. Youngsters Theo Stevenson and Akai want to recruit a crew, stage a talent show and make enough money to save their youth club from being demolished. Naturally, theres many a problem to be overcome before the expected happy ending, including the unfortunate fact that Stevenson cannot dance

They changed London and they changed their lives is the opening line and that innate optimism infuses the familiar storyline. Not that the story is really important the key pleasure comes from seeing the youngsters put their all into singing and dancing so that what a surprise they save their youth club

Stevens and Akai (aka Akai Osei-Mansfield) make an entertaining double act and the youngsters all score while the adults, led by Ashley Jensen and Mark Heap as the cruel council worker trying to close the kids club and John Barrowman as a dad, add sterling support.

Result? A likeable, funny and tuneful show that should be just as enjoyable in 2 dimensions as in 3.

Alan Frank

UK 2013. UK Distributor: Vertigo Films. Colour.
106 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: U.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 02 May 2013