In Praise Of A Crappy Movie

"Honey 2?"
"Yes, they made a sequel."

"It got two stars."
"Ah, there's more there."
"It got two point two stars?"
"It got two point..."
"Something stars."

Honey 2 never won an Oscar. I don't think it was nominated for anything either.

I didn't care.

I knew going in that the acting would be, most likely, sub par, along with a flat predictable plot.

I didn't care.

I love dance movies. LOVE dance movies.

When I selected the feature on Netflix, I knew what to expect.

Down on their luck lead, often a female but not always, seeks a new life, but the ghosts of their past often haunt them. Or our lead makes a mistake in the first few minutes of the story (See: Exposition, for those learned among you) that follows them throughout the film.

The nemesis/bad guy/villain is also a dancer, often viewed as better. Our lead must prove that they are in fact the superior performer, which is mostly likely accomplished through a dance competition or audition or a big dance showcase. At the end of the competition/audition/showcase, our hero ends up on top, whether by winning or choosing their own path in their art.

Like I said, I love dance movies. And, of course, it has nothing to do with the plot.

It's the dancing. It's seeing these amazing performers move their bodies, conveying all their emotions in their leaps, dives, back bends, flips, spins, tricks, turns, and booty shakes.

I own Center Stage and Save The Last Dance.

Currently I'm watching this Australian teen drama called Dance Academy. As with all teen dramas, as you can imagine, the acting is... meh. The storylines are predictable, mostly. But there is ballet every episode. The solos. The pas de deux. I love the show. Love it, even though the dumb teenage shit drives me crazy. (Just get to the damn dancing!)

Long lines, effortless movements, contemporary pieces mixed with classical masterpieces. Yes, I am hooked.

So, when I ticked my way through Netflix selections, and finally fell on Honey 2, I knew what I would watch.

Back when I had cable, I loved America's Best Dance Crew on MTV (yes, it still exists). Many of the crews I loved from the show are in Honey 2: Beat Freaks, Fanny Pack, Quest Crew, Super Crew.

And though it is one hour and fifty minutes of my life I will not get back, I don't regret my decision to watch yet another dance movie. Because even though the plot was so very predictable. Even though the acting was so poor, I didn't care. The dancing, in any dance movie, is why people watch.

The rest is just an excuse to put it on a movie screen.