Work It tells the story of Quinn Ackerman, played by Sabrina Carpenter, whose biggest dream, up to this point, is getting following in her late father’s footsteps by getting into Duke University. However, during her admissions interview, Quinn tells a little white lie about being a part of her High Schools Championship Dance Team – The Thunderbirds.
The only problem is, she isn’t, but with the help of her BFF, Jasmine, she starts her own Dance Squad and somehow convinces the best choreographer/dancer in the area – Jake Taylor played by Jordan Fischer – to choreograph for them, as well as teach her how to do dance; if you know what I mean ::wink wink::
The Acting In Work It
Liza Koshy, who is best known for her hilarious YouTube Comedy, plays Jasmine, Quinn’s BFF, and kills it! I honestly had no idea she was a dancer and she is a DAN-CER!
The opening sequence of Work It shows you just why this movie is called WORK IT! Juilliard – played by Keiynan Lonsdale – whips it, vogue it, works it, and twerks it, giving you the vibe of exactly what this movie is going be like – As well as the Boner-tastophy as I like to call it…when you see it you’ll know exactly what I mean
Work It is reminiscent of Teen-Dance movies of the past a la, Step Up, Stomp the Yard, and Save the Last Dance. We even get an impromptu dance-off between Jasmine and Julliard as well as a big, hear-felt lesson that to find and follow your passion – you never know where it may lead you.
The Right And The Wrong Of Work It
All of the actors are fantastic, and this is where Work It gets it right, where a lot of these past teen dance movies get it wrong; typically you either get good actors and meh dancers or GREAT dancers and meh actors. Work It gives you a fantastic blend of both while making it feel real and not like every high school is filled with professional dancers.
I was really glad to see Sabrina Carpenter take on a role like this. I absolutely loved her in Girl Meets World as Riley’s other side of the tracks BFF, Maya Hart. She’s also an incredibly talented singer. If you haven’t checked out her music you should fix that – it’s fantastic. Seeing Sabrina play Quinn solidifies that she’s a leading lady contender to watch out for – she’s a smart actress who is charming, funny, knows how to sell romance, and isn’t afraid to look silly. This definitely will not be the last time we see her carrying a film.
An Aside on Jordan Fischer
Jordan Fischer – seriously, is there anything this man can’t do? You may recognize Jordan from Grease LIVE, RENT LIVE, or his role in the Netflix Film: To All The Boys: PS I Still Love You. Though, Jordan finally gets his due in this film. As Jake Taylor, the handsome, in need of rescue, injured dancer – Jordan gets to show off exactly how charming he is while playing a fantastic love interest. Not only does he get to show off his dancing chops, his chemistry with Sabrina Carpenter superb. The only thing that would’ve made it better is if he sang me a little ditty.
Work It is ninety minutes long – pacing wise that feels perfect. The movie uses every second of that ninety minutes to tell a fun, uplifting, entertaining, throwback film. So, if you’re looking for a light-hearted entertaining movie to watch throw on Work It – you won’t be disappointed.
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