What makes the movie unique and worthwhile, in addition to the music and professional dance moves, and despite a few conventional and predictable scenes, is that each character has a life and purpose of his or her own. The supporting cast doesn't come across as merely existing for the sake of furthering the protagonists' story.
Antonio Banderas plays Pierre Dulaine, a ballroom dance teacher who, after witnessing an act of vandalism, volunteers to teach dance classes to a group of "difficult" students at a local high school. Dulaine could not have been better cast, as Banderas plays to perfection the role of the stranger (of mysterious origin) who appears into the scene of chaos, completely convinced that he can make a difference. Banderas' strong Spanish accent, along with the unique musical taste and impeccable manners of his character, reinforce his role as the foreign, somewhat exotic, savior figure.
From the beginning of the movie, it is clear that he will have an effect on his students. It is also easy to see that he will succeed despite the doubt and skepticism of the other teachers at the school.
But just at a point when you might think the movie is becoming predictable, and that Banderas' character is too good to be true, too much unlike people in our everyday lives to be playing one on the big screen, Dulaine reminds us with one of his many aphorisms that "that's not the point." Indeed, most of his lines are either metaphors about life or concise statements of truth that do not quite catch you by surprise because they are uttered at precisely the right moment. His charm, wit and bemused self-confidence do not quite make Dulaine an unbelievable character, but he is definitely an improbable one.
As the movie progresses, so does the students' ballroom dancing skills, and not surprisingly, their self-confidence, affection and respect for one another do as well. These changes in attitudes will come as no surprise to any audience, just like it is a given that Lahrette and Rock, despite the conflict between them at the beginning of the movie, will end up together.
Even if the main storyline falls into the trap of predictability, as many commercial movies do, it is the details of the plot and the character development that makes "Take the Lead" worth a trip to the movie theater instead of waiting it out until it becomes available on DVD.
Most of the characters in the new dance class have their own life, their own problems and motivations, and do not need to dance (either literally or figuratively) around the leads. From Caitlin (Lauren Collins), the up-town white girl who escapes her overbearing coming-out-party-planning mother, to Ramos (Dante Basco) and Easy (Lyriq Bent), who have to decide, in a piece that shows it is possible for three to tango, who is more deserving of Sasha (Jenna Dewan), any of the characters could easily have been the leading roles. The main reason they aren't, it seems, is that they do not fit the hero and heroine profile of the protagonists.
Even the smaller characters are very well developed, and refreshingly unpredictable. The school principal, played by Alfre Woodard, is a serious, strict woman who enforces the rules, but isn't the power-hungry dictator despised by those she rules over that one might imagine. She calls out to students by their names as she passes them on the hallway and knows who needs to be sent to her office and why. Her character is portrayed in a more realistic manner than others who have played similar roles.
One of the characters who mostly avoids stereotypes is Mr. Temple, played by John Ortiz. Ortiz tries to save the self-motivated, college-bound students from the disgrace of the public school system, which is not such a bad idea at first glance, and so one is left to wonder why his character is not endearing.
Later on, however, that becomes clearer as he strictly opposes turning detention into dancing classes for "troubled" kids, on the basis that it would be a waste of time and resources that would be better spent on other areas, or on other students.
The climax of the movie follows a series of rising actions that include scenes switching back and forth between Rock running around getting deeper and deeper into his mess (also a predictable one), and dancing couples twirling faster and faster on the dance floor. The denouement, full of wonderful dance moves and with everyone in gowns, high heels, tuxedos, all dancing to catchy beats, practically invites the audience to stay and sit through the credits.