Chocolate City: Vegas

Actually I liked the first Chocolate City better but this one was good too! Deserves higher rating!

Isn't this the same plot as a Brady Bunch movie years ago??

So... a group of desperate dancers (or in the Brady movie - singers) need a large amount of money quickly and ... there just happens to be a dance contest (or in the Brady movie a singing contest) such that if you win first prize, everything is peachy again!

I have no intention of spoiling anything for either movie 😉😉 but you can guess they enter the contest.

The idea is you get to see dancers, and you get to see a contest, and you get to see a dancing contest in Las Vegas!

So that warrants a couple of stars. This is not the kind of movie that you plan a weekend viewing party around. But if you have some time and some popcorn you could do worse (not much worse but yes, worse). At least it's not so bad that you get angry. But I wouldn't pay money for it.

This film tells the story of a male exotic dance troupe, who needs to come up with $88,000 in a month to save their club. They decide to go to Las Vegas for a national competition to win the prize of $500,000.

It is clear that the filmmakers secured a lot more money for the sequel, and every thing looks better in this sequel. The costumes, the music and the dance moves are all better. The story is predictable, but it is OK since it is the dancing that entertains. I like the choreography, and there are so many dances to watch in this film.

The original 'Chocolate City' set the groundwork so with many of the same faces returning all 'Vegas' had to do was cook up a simplistic plot and maybe increase the male visuals. It does exactly that but with a bigger budget as the guys takes a road trip. Released at the same time as 'Magic Mike XXL' the comparisons between series continues as both center around a competition involving a lot of moolah.

Picking up from where things left off, Michael (Robert Ri'chard) went to Japan and continued to dance so Carmen (Imani Hakim) broke up with him. Plus Princeton (Michael Jai White) in financial trouble might lose the club. A competition in Vegas to crowd the best male exotic dance crew and a prize of 500k could fix everything. Turns out former friend & dancer Pharoah (Ginuwine) has his own stage show in Vegas now and is the odds on favorite to win.

If I thought the story in the first flick was predictable then this one is half baked. The romance subplot, school issues (again) and the return of the pastor (writer/director La Marre) sets up a wack ending. Then there's the prize pool. Let's just say hypothetically they win. They gotta give 30% (150k) to their backer leaving 350k. You help out Princeton for 88k. How does 262k get split six ways leaving Michael with 50k? Hmm.

Vivica A. Fox returns and Mekhi Phifer puts in a spot. Ri'chard is still fine, but White is seen less and Ginuwine isn't developed much as a villain. More bodies get shown off so that might bridge the gap for ladies, but the plot doesn't come together in a satisfying manner. Who rightfully watches male strippers on a TV while your ill dad lays right next to you in a hospital bed too?