Hula Girls (2007)

This bitter sweet dramedy sits alongside films such as The Full Monty as it follows a group of coalminers' daughters turning into hula girls.

There's nothing new in this very formulaic let's-put-on-a-show drama.

An irresistible Japanese import, Hula Girls is a crowd-pleaser so comfortable with its own clichés that it goes down smoother than a mai tai on Maui.

An eminently likeable, well-made film.

While he's coasting through on his story, [Lee] concentrates on giving his movie a great big heart. Either that, or this tired old tale simply sounds better in Japanese.

The girls face prejudice from their families, while their amateur moves frustrate the dance instructor. Will they ever triumph? Just guess.

While the outline of the film's plot is fairly standard and predictable, director Lee Sang-il and his co-screenwriter Daisuke Habara have concocted enough obstacles ... to keep the audience's interest. When the film reaches its climax ... it arrives there

U.S. audiences may find themselves impatient with the leisurely way Lee -- a Japanese director of Korean descent -- lets the tale unfold.