BREAKIN' (1984)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Dickey is Kelly, a waitress and aspiring dancer who deals with a stern choreographer (Ben Lokey) who wants nothing more than her passion, eh, preferably between the sheets. One day Kelly witnesses the breakdancing moves of street performers with memorable names like Ozone (Shabba-Doo himself) and Turbo (Boogaloo Shrimp). They live to dance and amp up their ghetto blasters with pop techno music. Ozone is tickled pink by Kelly but he resists corporate interests and Broadway talent managers. Ozone and Turbo live to entertain the crowds, and perform competitions (with the help of an early performance by Ice-T as Rap Talker - the club MC) to outdo any rival crew's moves - one particular crew calls themselves "Electro Rock." Whoever wins has the audience gather and flock to the winner. Whoever loses, leaves the club in great haste. Why they nickname Kelly "Special K" is a question begging to be asked and borders on the level of parody.
Most of "Breakin" is chock full of upbeat dance sequences and in that spirit, it works. When the movie deals with Christopher McDonald as the agent who has a hard time signing up the trio for an audition, "Breakin" looks and feels as if it was assembled by committee, not by a genuine interest in the lives of street performers. Delete the mean choreographer and the too-good-to-be-true agent from another movie and we could have had a gritty expose of life in the streets. Shabba-Doo, Boogaloo Shrimp and Lucinda Dickey occupy a movie of heart, passion and ambition. The other elements occupy formula. See the difference?
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