Planet B-Boy

Genre - Documentary
Year Released - 2008
Running Time - 95 minutes

Directed by Benson Lee

Cast Includes:
Knucklehead Zoo
Gamblerz
Last for One
Phase-T
Ichigeki

Rating: 4 Skulls

Plot Summary:
This Tribeca Film Festival selection affords viewers exclusive access to the underground world of break dancing, charting the highs and lows of 5 B-boy teams practicing for the all-important "Battle of the Year".
Combining stunning dance footage from Japan, Germany, South Korea, France, and the United States, documentarian Benson Lee sets out to show that break dancing didn't fade into history - it merely evolved into a remarkable art form.

Review:
What a fascinating documentary! It is absolutely amazing what these folks can do - the athleticism, the artistry, the energy and expression - Crazy! [Me, I couldn't dance to save my life, much less do what these folks do!]

In the beginning of the film, we are told that Hip-Hop is not Rap. Hip-Hop is a culture that is broken down into 4 elements: B-boying, Scratching, Rapping, and Tagging. We are filled in how B-boying began in the 70's, how it was exploited in the 80's - simply becoming a fad, and how it has evolved into what it is today.

Throughout the film, we follow the main teams [mentioned above, in the cast]
Ichigeki - from Japan, Gamblers and Last for One - both from South Korea, Phase-T from France, and Knucklehead Zoo - from the USA (Las Vegas!) as they prepare for the ultimate showdown: the "Battle of the Year" held each year, in Germany.
Other crews are there as well, from China, South Africa, Thailand, Hungary, Taiwan, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Greece, Spain - all over! It is amazing how this has spread, from America, to all over the world!

Even if you are not a break dancing fan, this is an enjoyable and entertaining documentary.
Here's the trailer:


This movie is currently available Instantly through Netflix [which is how I watched it] Just so you know! :-)

Jason