You sometimes come across a film that is made more for a gimmick rather than telling a very interesting story; Tap is one of them. That's not to say that this movie is a flat out dud, it's just that the story doesn't really hold a candle to the tap dancing shown here. Starring the late Gregory Hines, the film revolves around a talented tap dancer named Max Washington (Hines), who must decide between embracing dancing at a new dance production from his girlfriend Amy (Suzanne Douglass) or becoming a criminal again with his old criminal buddy, Nicky (Joe Morton). From a premise like that, the movie becomes rather predictable from its outcome alone, and each beat becomes more obvious after another.
So what elevates the film up to being above average? Well, mainly the dancing, as many of the characters in the movie display a versatile amount of dance moves that one could only wish to be good at. The dancers range from the likes of Sammy Davis jr., Jimmy Slyde, Howard Sims, Bunny Briggs, Dick Anthony Williams, and even a young Savion Glover. It's hilarious watching Max getting involved with the old curmudgeons in games of dancing, and the choreography definitely deserves much recognition. One particular scene of Max demonstrating his moves to a crowd of people outside the dance production practically turns into a scene from a Broadway musical it's so much fun to watch.
Even at that, the most likable characters in the film are Amy and Little Mo (Davis jr.), as they cause much conflict with Max when it comes to deciding where he belongs as well as trying to get his act back together. Everyone else, while not despicable, are either just there or just give Max more problems, yet they're not as interesting as they could be and they just come off as a forgettable supporting cast. That being said, in spite of a majority of weak characters and a lackluster plot, they're not what this movie is all about at the end of the day. This is mainly made to be a fun little dance flick with Gregory Hines busting moves, and it does succeed in that aspect. If you're a Hines fan or you're just into dancing as a whole, definitely give this a watch; just don't expect a story with much substance or intrigue.
