Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)

Lucinda Dickey as "Kelly"
Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quinones as "Ozone"
Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers as "Turbo"
Susie Bono as "Rhonda"
Peter MacLean as "Mr. Douglas"

Written by Jan Ventura and Julie Reichert
Directed by Sam Firstenberg

About fifteen minutes into this movie, I knew it had Breakin' beaten. Hell, where else would you have a musical number where everyone, from kids, to cops, to elderly women, starts poplocking down the street? It is all very over the top, and you know, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo happens shortly after the first film, giving the original characters a new challenge to face now that they've reached for their dreams. This time, Ozone, Turbo, and Kelly are out to save the local community center, called "Miracles." Seems a crooked developer wants to tear it down and turn it into a shopping center. The good guys need to raise $200,000 to renovate the building so that they city won't give the land to mean Mr. Douglas.

However, if you're watching this movie, it probably isn't for the plot (not very original to begin with), but to see just how bad it is. Well, like its predecessor, Breakin' 2 is hilariously poor. Most of the characters are one-dimensional caricatures, from prideful Ozone and comic relief Turbo to Kelly's bigoted father and miserly Mr. Douglas. The story is pretty standard, something I've seen in so many '80s cartoons and films, and probably an A-Team episode or two.

It is Breakin' 2's complete lack of sense, though, that sets it apart from anything else I've seen. How many of you have played Sega's "Michael Jackson's Moonwalker" video game? Those of you who have might remember the dance button, one press of which would launch a brief dance number involving everyone on the screen. Now, imagine a movie in which the writer has pressed the dance button every ten minutes or so.

Apparently, this is a movie about breakdancers with magic powers. How else can you explain Turbo's dance on the ceiling (what would Lionel Ritchie say about this?) or the hospital scene, in which the wounded are miraculously healed just by being in the hallway when a dance number starts up? You can't! It makes no sense!

Maybe I'm being unfair here. After all, the silver screen has a rich history of musicals. I should be used to seeing characters launch into uncharacteristic dance numbers; after all, I loved West Side Story. But watch the Breakin' movies back to back, and watch Beat Street as well. Beat Street is actually a breakdancing drama with some funny scenes, both intended and unwitting. Breakin' is more of a comedy, though it tries to have some dramatic weight. Breakin' 2 is a comedy in all respects, intentionally, and in the "so bad it's ridiculous" sense.

One of the problems is that all of the actors seem to be taking this pretty seriously. Adolfo Quinones actually saw the films as breakdancing's big step into the mainstream. The dancing isn't the problem. In fact, when in motion, "Shabba-Doo" is pretty fun to watch. In dramatic scenes with Lucinda Dickey, however, he's a bit overdramatic. He puts a lot of emotion into his work, but it's emotion without as much talent to guide it. Lucinda Dickey is marginally better, playing Kelly as an everyday sort. She's easy enough on the eyes, and moves fairly well, so it isn't painful to watch her. Michael Chambers, however, isn't served well by dialogue, doing his best acting physically and relying on facial gestures to get his point across.

To be honest, there isn't much more that I feel I can say about this movie. Rather than remain stuck, I'll stop now and simply recommend it if you're looking for a laugh. It's obvious that this movie doesn't take itself seriously, and neither should you. If you can find a copy of Breakin' 2, just pop it in, sit back, and enjoy a most absurd, yet enjoyable experience.

6.16.02