Starring Adam Garcia, Sophie Lee, Sam Worthington, William Zappa, Andrew Kaluski and Richard Carter. Rated R.

BOOTMEN tells the story of two Newcastle kids growing up in a tough steel city where men are men and poofters get bashed.

Despite early success in the dance arena, encouraged by their since-deceased mum, the brothers Sean (Garcia) and Mitchell (Worthington) give it away to follow their father and all their mates into a real job at the local steel mill.

But Sean's talented and restless feet can't stand still. After auditioning for a Sydney stage production, Sean heads for the big smoke - Sydney - against the insistence of his company-loyal father. After up-staging and out-punching the Sydney show's lead dancer, Sean lands back in Newcastle to find his brother in his girlfriend's bed.

But good old dad saved his steel work's job for him -- so life's not all bad. Or is it?

With sparks in his feet and stars in his eyes, Sean can't settle. The germ of an idea flashes in his head and the Bootmen are born.

All they have to do is convince a few people to back them - and survive the mean streets of Australia's Steel City.

Based on the birth of the world-famous Tap Dogs, Bootmen is a very entertaining movie whether you are familiar with Tap Dogs or not (but you'd be from another planet if you hadn't, especially after the Olympic opening ceremony).

It is also a very poignant depiction of life in one of Australia's toughest cities. A city where men were ... aw! I did that already ... a city almost wholly dependant on a single industry, a city where rugby, chasing girls and bluin' were the dominant sports, a city where a man made a living in the same workshop or mine shaft where his dad, and his dad before him, worked. A city where a man who danced had gender issues. A city where when the biggest employer in town pulls up stumps, there's not a whole lot of hope for the future - except what you make for yourself.

BOOTMEN is another Aussie classic. Low budget and not real flash around the edges, but with a huge heart, real charm and familiarity that immediately screams ... Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie.

I took the kids to see this but forgot to check the rating before I went. I didn't know 'till the very end that it was R and although there was a lot of swearing and violence, it was natural, real-world stuff, not violence or profanity for its own sake. So despite the rating, I won't advise you to leave the kids at home. Make up your own mind. But I'm of the old school -- you can protect them from the world but it's perhaps counter-productive to deny it exists.