Tap

An undemanding backstage romantic melodrama set in contemporary New York, Tap is also a homage to the great black dancers who liberated tap with their exuberant, inventive and personal interpretations pre rock'n'roll. The plot concerns Max (Hines) and his redemption from Ye Traditional Life of Crime through his paternal heritage as a tapper. The twists and turns are entirely predictable, but at least it's better plotted and acted than Dirty Dancing, doesn't attempt to rewrite black cultural history like The Cotton Club, and isn't cluttered with too many subplots as was Fame. Most enjoyment comes from the dance set pieces, notably a 'challenge' in which old-timers like Bunny Briggs, Sammy Davis Jr and the wonderfully grouchy Sandman Sims trade licks with each other and with Max, newly freed from Sing Sing.