KINKY BOOTS — ** 1/2 — Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sarah-Jane Potts; rated PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, violence).

"Kinky Boots" has a lot in common with the feel-good British comedies "The Full Monty" and "Brassed Off," aside from the fact that all three were opening-night premieres for the Sundance Film Festival ("Kinky Boots" just last January).

Like the other films, "Kinky Boots" is the offbeat tale of a struggling British community that must diversify if it's going to survive. But after so many rehashes of this premise, it's become formulaic and a little stale.

Still, there's no denying that some audience members are likely to find this predictable silliness amusing. And the cast certainly seems to be buying into it.

Australian actor Joel Edgerton stars as Charlie Price, an unambitious Englishman who becomes the CEO of a shoe-manufacturing plant. Having inherited the job after his father's death, Charlie is not too thrilled to be running the factory. And his workers aren't thrilled about it, either.

Things only go from bad to worse when Charlie discovers the factory is failing. When he's faced with the prospect of closing the plant, Charlie is fortunate enough to meet a drag performer named Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

The sturdy Lola saves Charlie from an alley beating, then orders a custom-fit boot that's designed with his mannish frame in mind. And the finished product turns out so well that the two begin a partnership, hoping to find a possible market for the footwear.

British television director Julian Jarrold is smart enough to keep the tone light, which helps when the film starts to drag a bit. But he has a vanilla-bland lead in Edgerton, who's so low-key that he becomes dull.

Fortunately, he's paired with the considerably more lively Ejiofor, who's as believable here as he was playing more menacing characters in "Serenity" and "Four Brothers."

"Kinky Boots" is rated PG-13 for some crude and sexually suggestive talk (innuendo) and other sexual humor, some strong profanity, and a brief scene of violence (a back alley scuffle). Running time: 107 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com