Battle of the Year 3D is the newest dance craze film to hit the big screen. The movie was inspired by the documentary Planet B-Boy and focuses on the American "Dream Team", a group of break-dancers from the USA who are led by an unlikely coach to the ultimate competition - the Battle of the Year. While the yearly event is very much real, the goofy storyline and characters are not. Battle of The Year will entertain those who are passionate about B-Boying, but will not do much for any other viewer.
The first, and major, problem with the film is there is not enough actual dancing. Besides a quick montage of the crew learning steps and running drills during their boot camp, the only actual dancing you see in the film is a "battle" the first day of practice and the final routine at Battle of the Year near the end of the film. You see a few moves here and there during the movie, but the director is much more interested in the storyline than making a breakdancing film.
If a dance movie were going to focus on the plotline instead of on showing the actual dancing, you think that the script would be strong. Unfortunately, it is just another run of the mill "opposites overcoming obstacles" story with no real power behind it. They do bond and they do help their coach to see himself in a new light, but that has been overdone so many times that watching it again just is not worth it.
Many of the actors are actual b-boys, and they are extremely talented movers. For the most part, they are not bad actors either. Even Chris Brown is not half bad as cocky crew lead Rooster. He may not be someone to be impressed with in real life, but the guy has some amazing skills when it comes to dancing. Of course, not the entire cast can be perfect. While "LOST" alum Josh Holloway is a wonderful actor and plays his part with conviction, it is hard to believe that in his younger years he was a legend at breakdancing. It just seems unbelievable that Holloway has a hip-hop background and, while it is mentioned several times that he is a pro, there is no shred of dancing in his role to back up the claim.
Dancers will enjoy Batlle of the Year because it speaks to them on a level that it cannot for non-dancers. While the story is unoriginal and the actual dancing sequences are far and few between, the 3D adds a dimension that at least keeps the two hours from dragging by.
