High energy, tons of color, masterful Disney Channel acting -- and that's about it. Drawing on what I consider to be a painful backstory, Jojo is being attacked for her individuality and style by a bully of a dance coach. Sound familiar? This dance coach pales in comparison to the real life coach Jojo was submitted to endure during her tenure on Dance Moms. Still, these spunky teens work through problems that are appropriate for the plot to be enjoyed by targeted audience. And the ending is predictable.
One of the things I most appreciated about this film is that Jojo maintains a relationship with a coach who models a healthier perspective. Also, this coach can dance. She doesn't dance like a teenager, but she is still in the dance scenes, up on her feet and moving. Hoorah for a coach who walks the walk AND talks the talk.
I wish there were more positive adult role models in this film. Other than the former coach, there really aren't any. Where are these dancers' parents really? More of that dreaded Disney disease where a mother or father or both are dead and poor orphan dancers are left to their own devices? (Exception: one dancer who won't approach her parents about leaving a dance team because they already paid for the costume and will get mad? Not a good example of solid communication.). It's not really addressed.
There is miscommunication, pettiness, and a lack of stepping up to address solving a problem in a timely manner to avoid more problems because those are the easy, typical conflicts in teen-dom flicks. Owning who you are is a pretty common trope, as are the outcomes of forgiveness and rising above. At least those are positive lessons taken away.
It could have been deeper . . . But, it is what it is -- a very dance-y Jojo Siwa showpiece where she is fully committed to being her energetic, bow-wearing, colorful self. She's hardworking and positive. If kids can be inspired to hold on to those attributes, then the movie has hit its target.
