Planet B-Boy

This should have been as wonderful as Red Hot Ballroom or nearly as excellent as 8 Mile. BUT, the editor and cameraman couldn't control their egos enough to let the super talented B Boys do their thing. Not once are we allowed to see more than a few seconds of each number -- never a whole performance -- even though one of the three important prizes is awarded for choreography. We are never allowed to see the talent from the audience's point of view -- even though we see the audience reaction way too much. Why can't editors and cameramen understand that dance performances are choreographed to be viewed by an audience, and we do not need nor want the film crew to reinterpret the choreography nor hack up the visual impact and dramatic structure with camera tricks?

This documentary shows many different "crews" from all over the world that have come together in Germany for the battle of their lives. The main 5 crews are: Ichigeki (Japan), Last for One (Korea), Gamblers (Korea), Knucklehead Zoo (US), Phase T (France). The documentary goes through the lives and hardships faced by the crews and the members as individuals. It also shows how dedicated the bboys are in the hope of achieving their dream/goal.

The film really sheds light on this dance that not much know about and reveals what bboying is all about. Being a bboy myself, I can really say that the film is accurate in probably all they say about the art called bboying. This documentary has helped spread the hip-hop culture, something that I really want to see happen.

This documentary focuses on five of the finalist teams sent to the Battle of the Year in Germany, an international b-boy ("breakdancing") competition where the world's best b-boy team is crowned. For the uninitiated, the doc starts with an overview of hip-hop and b-boying in particular as one of the four legs of hip-hop culture (tagging, scratching, rapping and b-boying) along with its evolution. Then we taken into an overview of the Battle of the Year competition.

After that lightning-fast introduction, the documentary settles on the five teams: Phase-T representing France, Ichigeki representing Japan, Knucklehead Zoo representing the USA and two teams, Gamblerz and Last for One, representing South Corea. Featuring a number of interviews with the various team members as well as dance sequences in a number of attractive backdrops, the doc settles in on three stories prominently, one about the little white kid member of the mostly North African adult team of Phase-T and his hobby overcoming his parents' racism as well as two stories within Ichigeki and Last for One dealing with strained relationships between disapproving fathers and sons eager to win over their fathers' admiration.

Finally, the doc gets to the Battle of the Year, where individual stories are cut against the teams as they prepare for the big competition and finally an extended showcase from the Battle of the Year. The film does a good job of building up the story so that when it unleashes the dance competition at the end, you're anticipating it. The individual stories, especially of Last for One and Ichigeki especially cause you to root for those two teams and it was harder to build sympathy for the other teams.

Those that don't enjoy the dancing might find this film more tedious, but the explanation of b-boying and the various stylistic differences between the countries that are explained helped give something to look for during the competition and the exploratory dance sequences. Planet B-Boy stands somewhere between, depending on your perspective, being a puff piece and an enthusiastic glance into the world of b-boying internationally. This is not a sociological study of influence of hip-hop internationally and is very much focused on five teams and the Battle of the Year competition.

All in all, the doc is enjoyable, even if a little light, and helped me get a better understanding of b-boying. I wish it was more in-depth, either into the history and world of b-boying or into the stories of each crew, but it already had enough packed into its relatively tight 101-minute running time. Recommended for the curious, for hip-hop lovers, for dance lovers, for people interested in transnational cultural exchange and, surprisingly, sports fans. 8/10.

There is an underground culture of performing arts that often goes overlooked or under-appreciated. The artists that dedicate their entire lives to the art form often come from meager lifestyles and impoverished conditions. But when they perform, whether it lasts for ten minutes or thirty seconds, they have the power to captivate your entire soul. Planet Bboy takes place during the Battle of the Year competition in 2005 and documents the culture that originated in the urban streets of New York City and spread like wildfire all over the world. Crews from all over the world strive to be the best, and to be the best they must grace the center stage of the entire world of b-boying, "Battle of the Year." One crew represents each of the participating countries to compete in the grandest bboy battle in the entire world. The prize money is close to nothing. The true prize is to create a name for yourself, to earn respect and recognition, and most of all to be the best in the world. The documentary focuses primarily on five different crews, Knucklehead Zoo from Las Vegas, Ichigeki from Japan, Phase-T from France, Last for One from Korea, and the reigning champions the Gamblerz also from Korea.

Each crew possesses their own unique style and presence, and the documentary shows the strong bond within each crew. The power moves and stunts are crazy! However, the heart of the film lies in the individual life stories. Bboys who want nothing more in life but to dance often come in conflict with the interests of the families, especially those who live in poverty.

Planet Bboy is powerful, raw with emotions, not to mention hilarious. The interactions between the bboys and their families provide moments of heartfelt emotion and moments of true hilarity as the facial expressions on the bboys say that they've heard these lectures their whole lives. We feel for them when the pursuit of their dreams is rejected, and cheer for them when they are appreciated. Great moments also arise when the bboy crews from different countries finally get together and experience a culture shock that is both threatening and awkward.

The film has the same heart and passion as the bboys have for their artistic outlet of dance. I can't remember the last time a movie made me cry. Planet Bboy was the first film in a long time I had to pretend there was something in my eye.

I left the film feeling a deeper appreciation for dance as well as the quality of life. Life is not worth living unless you dare to dream.