Protraph
Lack of good storyline.
FeistyUpper
If you don't like this, we can't be friends.
Humbersi
The first must-see film of the year.
Dylan Keyne
This film was done to promote the Tap Dogs show and dance group, so don't expect complicated or sophisticated plot, cunning twists or even amazing acting.You can pretty much guess what happens, just from watching the trailer. There is nothing, plotwise, that hasn't been done before and the characters are all tried and tested stereotypes. Cinematography is solid and production quality is safe. There is a fair degree of bad language, which seems a touch out of place given that this film will appeal to a lot of young dance students. But none of this detracts from the basic underlying premise of the film... Basically, sit back, shut up and enjoy the fabulous tap dancing - That's what it's about and in that respect, it does NOT disappoint!!
MellsworthScribe
After catching the last ten minutes of this on TV I got the Video in hopes I could share this AWESOME DANCING with friends and family, but the rest of the show was so bad I've had to forget that idea entirely!Sad! It could have inspired a lot of kids who will never be able to see it for the language alone! Unlike some think, not all people talk like that! It's a real shame writers/producers limit the viewers to the few who do!I think this movie should be reshot (even using the same actors/actresses) and "can" the vulgarity so the dance can shine through and reach an entirely different generation of kids with the verve of this wonderful dance presentation. This dancing could set their feet as well as their souls on fire!
nomorehandshakes
'Bootmen' is a cross between 'The Full Monty' and 'Billy Elliot' but the comparisons have to stop there, as this film contains neither the depth nor the humor of the other two. It is one of the few Australian Films I have seen that, either purposefully or not, looks more like a Hollywood flick, and perhaps coincidentally it ranks lower than most Aussie films on my list. The characters are developed haphazardly, and the tone of the movie follows a similar chaotic path, with excellent dancing not quite making up for a weak script and a feeble, unoriginal plot. Although at parts moving or amusing (or occasionally both at once) the film as a whole lacks focus, and it could be seen as a way to bring the Directors talent as a choreographer into the limelight. Impressive dancing, but otherwise nothing special, and towards the end it appears to lose touch with reality.
Daala
As a resident of Newcastle who is familiar with the Dein Perry story I was very interested in seeing this movie. The fact that it was shot in Newcastle and features a few Newcastle actors only increased my interest. As a local it was fantastic to see our often stereotyped city (we are the sixth largest Australian city) look as good as it does. They didn't just focus on the normal shots of the steel works or the beach, and they used references to places in Newie that only we could get. As a tap-dancing fan it was wonderful to see tap making its way into the cinema in a non-Fred Astaire way. As a movie fan it was great to note that something I assumed to be a chick-flick was actually a very blokey film with a bit of dancing thrown in. Perry and the crew have done a magnificent job in not only opening up the eyes of the world to tap-dancing they've also been wonderful in showing everyone a different side to Newcastle, while still maintaining what we are really about.
