DANCE FLICK review by Gary Dean Murray

Doing a parody flick is one of the hardest attempts to pull off successfully. For every one like Airplane! and Young Frankenstein, there are dozens like Epic Movie and Dracula Dead and Loving It. What looks funny on the printed page seldom works when put in front of the cameras. And with that said, comes the latest parody Dance Flick.

And like most of these films, it is a very mixed bag.

The film opens with a dance sequence and the first two jokes are an extended whiz stunt and a 'head up the butt' visual. If you are ready and willing to for more, read on.

The story is of a young woman Megan (Shoshana Bush) who has to move from the suburbs after the death of her mother. We see this happen which delivers some morbid laughs She goes to live with Dad (Chris Elliott in only one scene) who is a squatter in an apartment building. Megan enters a new downtown high school and finds that this performing arts place is not like her previous home. She quickly makes friends with Chasity (Essence Atkins) a single mother who keeps her little one in the locker. Megan also has an altercation with Thomas (Damon Wayans Jr.) who just happens to be Chasity's bother. It seems that Thomas and A-Con (Affion Crockett) owe a bunch of cash to Sugar Bear (David Allan Greer in a fat suit). Sugar Bear wants Thomas and A-Con to get a crew together to battle for honor, street cred and a load of cash. It is Megan and Thomas learning how different people can work together that is the basic plot of the film.

But, who are we kidding? This film is just a set-up to hang on a bunch of parody bits. And in Dance Flick we get them all. There are all the ones you would expect, from Hairspray to Step-Up. Dirty Dancing, High School Musical and Flashdance are referenced. The biggest parody is from Fame where a character sings the title song but changes the words to being gay. But there are few left turns from Catwoman to Ray to Twilight to Black Snake Moan.



While most of the performers are here just for single jokes, there are a few standout performances. Essence Atkins delivers a strong and funny presentation as the second banana to the action. She is a 'sister' who takes no guff from anyone. Her wide-eyed reading gives the comedy just that much more. There should be more coming from this young thespian. Shoshana Bush is just wonderful as the white girl from the suburbs. She has that sparkle on her every utterance and never lets on about how silly the exercise is. I think that Amy Sedaris is a heck of a comic but she is only used here for one really disgusting joke. A one note performance that does the job of getting laughs.

Unfortunately, the males of the cast do not fare as well. Damon Wayans Jr. is just a dullard as the male lead. He has the looks but not the comic timing. Affion Crockett is another victim of typecasting and brings nothing to the role. But David Alan Grier seems to be having fun with his fat suit in a 'Fat Bastard' role.

Dance Flick is one of those 'throw it on the wall and see what sticks' kind of films with jokes flying in from every direction. Some work, some won't and so what. There are a gaggle of writers trying to make this work and the different styles do mesh somewhat. The big question in one of these films is - is it funny? And for the most part the word is 'yes'. While some of the jokes are telegraphed so far in advance that one expects there to be a flagman signaling down the tracks, there are more than a few god hardy laughs. Not a great film but an entertaining exercise.

To go back to BIGFANBOY.com click here - www.bigfanboy.com