Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight Blu-ray Movie Review

Just dance.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 30, 2014

"Follow your inner star" the film says at its start, and as it asks of its audience, so too does the film follow its own advice. An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight, based on a character created by Author Lawrence Yep, tells the story of a young girl whose incredible dance skill is matched only by her uncanny ability to doubt herself into stumbling. The film follows a basic up-down-up path that sees its title character swept away by a broad swath of emotion as she struggles to find herself -- her inner star -- before a dream production must move on and cast another student in her place. The movie is basically a 99 minute pat on the back to every young person -- it's aimed at girls, but the theme is universal -- with a message that encourages they reach inside and move forward with their best foot forward, leaving behind doubt and worry, embracing the moment, and counting on natural talent, courage, self-respect, self-confidence, and a smile to not get by in the world, but to excel in anything and everything one sets his or her mind, heart, soul, and in this case, feet, on accomplishing.

I can do it!

Isabelle (Erin Pitt), a fourth-grade student at Washington, D.C.'s prestigious Anna Hart School of the Arts, is a gifted dancer but stuck in her older sister Jade's (Grace Davidson) shadow. She's the butt of a million jokes, picked on particularly hard by fellow student Renata (Genneya Walton) who takes advantage of every opportunity to tear Isabelle down in hopes of pushing herself further towards the top. When word comes down that select Anna Hall students will be cast in a major production of The Nutcracker, Isabelle is overjoyed, particularly when she learns that her hero, Jackie Sanchez (Tanya Howard), is set to star. Isabelle flubs her audition but is brought on to the production, anyway. Jackie cites her enthusiasm and raw talent as the reasons why, but Isabelle cannot seem to shake her feelings of self-doubt. As Renata continues her verbal assault and Isabelle continues to struggle in rehearsals, her fate not only in the production but as a student at Anna Hall and her career as a dancer all appear in jeopardy.

If the kind of movie in which impromptu song and dance can break out anywhere, at any time, with a thin supporting story built on broad emotions and tender, direct messages on the importance of self-confidence in the malleable minds and spirits of middle-school girls sounds good, then An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight will be sure to hit the spot. For all the attention on blaring music and supple dance and for the rather straightforward emphasis on a single emotion and message, the movie manages to spread itself out to 99 minutes without feeling too overdrawn. The characters are paper-thin and defined, largely, by single traits but that only play to dramatic necessity and build towards a dramatic crescendo when everything comes together in the final act, when the true meaning of the messages click, when smiles and senses of self-wroth wash away the accumulating bad tastes, rivalries, and self-doubts that defined the film's first two parts. Even when it all ends with a postcard-worthy little image of a momentarily perfect world, it proves just tenderhearted enough to bring a smile to the face of even the most cynical viewer and will undoubtedly leave the target audience -- girls in fourth-grader Isabelle's age bracket -- dancing for joy and beaming for having taken the journey with their new favorite cinematic best friend.

As far as the more technical end of the ledger is concerned, An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight largely impresses with its dance choreography, which is a nice blend of ballet rehearsal and recital and more modern Pop dance routines. The moves feel smooth and effective, except, of course, when the story calls for young Isabelle to stumble about the stage. Yet even in her "worst" moments, there's a charm and grace to her effort. Erin Pitt is marvelously captivating in the film, maybe not quite so much in the rather flat dramatic scenes that are defined more by simple ebbs and flows rather than complex emotional characteristics but certainly in her on-stage grace. Just as her character's spirit captures the attention of her hero, so too does Pitt's performance please the audience with its evident spark in every shot. Grace Davidson is a nice compliment to Erin Pitt. The girls easily pass for sisters both in terms of physical appearance and in their day-to-day relationships, but it's that invisible bond that they share that elevates the film in the scenes in which they appear together. Finally, real-life professional dancer Tanya Howard, in the role of the girls' hero Jackie Sanchez, impresses as she grows into Isabelle's confidant and guiding light through her darkest hours.

An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

One might expect An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight to be a blast of color and lively detail, but that is unfortunately not the case. Universal's 1080p Blu-ray transfer is, in fact, rather dull and disappointing. It frequently favors flat details and bland colors within pale and lower light interiors, soaked in indirect light that doesn't really bring out any sort of picture vibrance in most scenes. At its best, the image produces average facial and clothing detail in most every scene, only occasionally displaying something more texturally intricate with excellent clarity and attention to detail, such as Isabelle's knitted hat. There are a few additional exceptions, such as the visibility of scuffs on the dance floor. Colors are largely lifeless, with some pinks and purples standing apart in a few scenes but, in general, the palette never explodes off the screen. Flesh tones are a bit pasty, and the image suffers from a consistent level of noise that often leaves faces and blonde hair appearing to be inhabited by buzzing little red dots. Additionally, black levels are never all that strong. While not a terrible transfer by any stretch of the imagination, this one never really does anything to impress.

An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight pirouettes onto Blu-ray with a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Universal's presentation isn't shy about blasting its listening audience. Pop music explodes from every speaker in the 5.1 configuration with an aggressive posture but an unmistakable clarity even at high volume. A vigorous but balanced low end support element provides much-neeed and music-completing body and definition. It's the kind of music young girls -- fans of this sort of bubble gum Pop/Rock music -- will want to blast on loop. As for the more basic elements, the track produces a few moments of quality environmental atmosphere, particularly within busy corridors and open spaces inside the school. Otherwise, this one is primarily about the spoken word, and dialogue is delivered clearly and evenly from the center channel.

An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight contains no bonus content. DVD and digital copies are included in the case.

An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight isn't for adults, but its message is universal. Young girls will assuredly fall in love with the simple charms and basic characters who undergo confidence-inspiring transformations that teach the audience the importance of self-worth even when the road is tough, when the naysayers are loud, when life itself seems to ask a girl to bear its brunt on her tiny shoulders. The movie never leaves a comfort zone of simplicity, save for its nicely complex and well-executed dance maneuvers. It's a quality film when taken at face value, within the context it was made and for the audience to whom it is targeted. Universal's Bu-ray release of An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight features mediocre video, good lossless audio, and no supplements. Chances are members of the target audience will devour this one. To them, this Blu-ray comes recommended.