Battle B-Boy (2012)

Posted in Reviews by - March 22, 2014
Battle B-Boy (2012)

A charming, morality-driven underdog film from Californian independents LLR Productions focusing on the trend for ‘da-fi’ (dance-fighting) battle crews, popularised by TV talent shows. The film uses an underground tournament setting to weave in the combative elements and ends up looking like a cross between Step Up and Fight Club. The choreography fits into the contrivances of a made-up breakdancing competition with rules like “fight to the music” and “no brawling”, and given the film’s wholesome nature the resulting action is mostly non-violent. Instead, the film is essentially a succession of sublime acrobatic spectacles highlighting the rhythmical talents of its leading cast – a ragtag crew of b-boys making a living as children’s entertainers. Each carrying their own emotional baggage, the troupe’s leader, Mike (Jae Phan), has an aging father in need of a heart op. Mike quickly befriends streetwise sage Jimmy (John Kreng) – a cross between Simon Cowell and Mr Miyagi – who acts as a band manager and patriarchal figure for Mike and his buddies as they enter into a dance-off competition with a hefty cash prize. The money would do them all the world of good, with each of them facing challenging back-stories of X Factor proportions: a dead father, an estranged father, a sister in a wheelchair and so on. The film’s positivity and great dance sequences masks a lot of the cliches and make it an entertaining watch, particularly for younger viewers.

This post was written by
Editor and creator of Kung Fu Movie Guide and the host of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. I live behind a laptop in London, UK.

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