Dance Way

Another dance movie? My first thought was it was gonna be another dance movie with generic plot line, bad acting and dance which focuses on gimmicky acrobatics and effects rather than dance itself (Step Up series anyone?). But this movie proved me wrong in some way.

It's set in New Zealand, so expect some really exotic Kiwi accents, and the movie doesn't let down in that department. While some may find the accent borderline incomprehensible, I personally enjoyed it. It follows a young aspiring Hip-Hop dancer Tu with his crew, while saying more could be considered spoilers, so let's not go there. It's a pretty generic storyline formula used in many other previous dance movies (Step Up series, Streetdance series). The acting isn't wow-ing in any way, and most of them are professional dancers rather than actors from what I know. It also stars So You Think You Can Dance (US Version Season 4) finalist Kherington, which was a warm surprise for me because she was one of my favourite contestant during that season of the show.

But here's the best thing about this movie - the dancing, because it focuses on the DANCE part rather than using acrobatics and effects. The choreography were amazing. The group numbers at the end were extremely enjoyable to watch. Here's what I started disliking about the Step Up series after the 3rd movie - they were more acrobatics and props effects than dancing. And the sole focus on dancing in this movie was a refreshing change for me (Streetdance series did this as well previously, by fully focusing on the dance instead of props).

Anyway, the movie is not bad - generic plot line, not so bad nor good acting (I guess you could call it average), with amazing dancing and choreography. Which is why I gave it a 7/10, because it was wholesomely entertaining to watch.

This film tells the story of an underprivileged young man in New Zealand, who chases his dream to become a hip hop dancer in order to lift him away from a life that's going nowhere.

There are lots of dance films like "Born to Dance", and all of them have predictable plots. This film is no exception, but the journey to the inevitable ending is uplifting and fun. The supporting characters are a lot of fun, I especially like the neighbour woman who delivers insightful and motivational lines. The female lead, Sasha, is a great character as well because she is so real and so human. I enjoyed watching this film, as it emanates positivity and has cool dance routines.

I wanted to watch this movie before it had even been released once I found out that Parris Goebel had choreographed it. What I was hoping for was something fresh and exciting to reflect Goebel's amazing talent with dance moves.

Nope. Just the same story line that has been regurgitated SO many times I could cry. I was equal parts infuriated and despairing when I realised early on exactly where the plot was going. I skipped to parts where the dancing was, if only to see Goebels work but not even a line up of Stan Walker, music by P-Money and Scribe could make me sit through the entire movie.

Thoroughly disappointed.

Ever since the first "Step Up" I have been TIRED and bored by Western dance movies. It was always the same garbage; guy meets girl, girl does ballet, guy does hip-hop, they kiss, enter a competition and win. That's the gist of every American made dance movie. Enter this quiet little film from New Zealand, and I can honestly say that I was engrossed from beginning to end. It isn't just a movie about dancers with some garbage story tacked on to justify the hour and half run time. This is a real movie, with a plot, relate-able and likable characters, and a really great soundtrack. Every worked their butt off to make this movie the best it could possibly be, and it paid off in spades. The story was entertaining, I cared about what happened to the characters, and everyone was just a pleasure to watch. The really star of this movie is, of course, the dancing. I thought South Koreans were the dancing kings, but New Zelanders could seriously give them a run for their money. These guys can MOVE. Every single dance segment was unique, original, dynamic, and a spectacle in and of itself. I got up a few times and tried to replicate the moves, even though I have no memory for choreography.

This movie was great and I loved everything about it, except one of the actors; the female American lead. She was horribly untalented, and I knew for a fact that she couldn't really dance. Then I looked at the credits and she had not 1 but 3(!) dance doubles. Why even cast her if she couldn't dance? Because she is somewhat pretty? She dragged down what could have been a perfect cast, and almost ruined the movie every time she opened her mouth. Aside from this horrible casting choice, everyone was like a good friend you wanted to know more about, and if that doesn't make a good movie, I don't know what does.

Not a fan of hip-hop music or dancing, but I wanted to watch this film because of the Maori Auckland connection. With the "coming of age" billing and the family factor, a single dad taking care of his adolescent son with dreams of making it big if accepted into the K-Crew dance team, it appealed to me personally, too. Tu learns, however, that along with the "big time" comes betrayal and the reality of the "winning at all costs" method many "top" performers in whatever dance field consider SOP. The story is common, but the acting is believable. I'm still no fan of the music/dance genre but it was a fun film with a little romance, a little drama and a "feel good" message and ending: make new friends but stand with the loyal bros who always have your back.