How She MoveMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 63 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 Iffy for 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 83
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    Rutina Wesley glowers with just the right touch of sweetness as a brainy student (and stellar after-school stepper). Read full review

  • 70
    Washington Post |

    The movie, which is burdened by a rather mediocre script by Annmarie Morais but boasts some terrific performances -- is not just a sports movie. It's a girls-can't-do-it/girls-can-do-it/girls-do-it/girls-beat-the-boys-at-it movie. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety | Justin Chang

    Title refers not only to its heroine's physical gyrations but also her moral maneuverings as she strives to break out of her lower-class surroundings in this moody, intelligent take on conventional material. Read full review

  • 70
    The New York Times |

    There's nary a twist you don't see coming. But the film's strong acting, spectacular dance routines and culturally specific details turn clichs into catharsis. It's the sort of film that sends you home with a spring in your step. Read full review

  • 67
    Austin Chronicle | Kimberley Jones

    This kind of a dance film lives and dies by the routines, and this one wins: Mixing elements of gymnastics, karate, and break with the almighty step an exceedingly polite term for what is really an awesome stomp. Read full review

  • 63
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    When the cast starts clomping atop a car, their synchronized bodies joining with the booming cross-rhythms, we're sold. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    How She Move has two key assets: powerful dance sequences and an emphasis on education. Read full review

  • 60
    The Hollywood Reporter | Frank Scheck

    How She Move doesn't exactly break any new ground. But the terrific dance numbers on display should please its teenage target audience. Read full review

  • 50
    New York Daily News | Elizabeth Weitzman

    Gets it right in every dance sequence, but stumbles badly whenever the characters step offstage. Read full review

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle |

    Movie cliches are supposed to be bad things because they make the movie too predictable. But you know, there are times when they actually work in a film's favor. Read full review

View more reviews for How She Move on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 13+ Urban dance drama is formulaic yet entertaining.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that although this film depicts a hard-knock inner-city life in Toronto, its redemptive, inspirational themes -- that no matter who you are, you can and should dare to dream -- apply to everyone. There are hints of trouble (crime, drug issues) in the neighborhood, but they're fairly subtle, and although the main character's sister dies of an overdose, it's not shown, and the only drug shown on screen is marijuana. Some angry words are exchanged, but this is the type of film where characters settle their differences in "step offs" rather than with violence. There's some language, but -- other than one use of "f--k" -- it's not excessive.
  • Families can talk about the appeal of dance movies. Why do so many portray dance as a way of getting in touch with your true identity? What is it about dance that taps into someone's sense of self? Families can also discuss Raya's situation. What fueled her decisions? If you were in her shoes, would you have made the same choices (and mistakes)? Why does she feel so much pressure to achieve? How is she similar to and different from characters in other urban, dance-themed movies?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: Raya misleads her parents about how she's spending her free time. Boys wager on a dance match, a crew leader hints at drug dealing, and there are a few fights, but otherwise the story is redemptive and the characters are good-hearted; Raya is also academically ambitious and takes her studies really seriously. Some characters assume that girls can't step as well as the guys can and are reluctant to let Raya into the guys' crew.
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence: Mild fight involving some shoving and yelling. Violence hinted at when two rival "crews" face off. A criminal is shown being arrested by cops.
  • sex false3 Sex: Some "bumping and grinding" on the dance floor, and one lingering kiss. Song lyrics played during the step competitions allude to sex. Some scantily/suggestively clad women. A woman is shown straddling a man who's not wearing his shirt; they're in bed, and it seems like the prelude to sex.
  • language false3 Language: A few uses of the word "bitch," and one "f--k."
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Lots of mentions of the Step Monster, a dance competition.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: A man is shown toking on a joint. Some discussions of heavier drug use, but nothing overt. The main character's sister died of an overdose (discussed, but not shown). The drug trade casts a shadow over Raya's neighborhood.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Dave White

4.0

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… isn't nearly as stupid … Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

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