(1984)
2.5
Jeremy Wheeler
Reportedly shot and released within one month, the original Breakin' was a monster at the box office and an entertaining, if not unabashedly formulaic flick that helped break open the street culture to the masses in 1984. Despite the male leads having no acting experience (both were legends on the circuit), the flick doesn't sink under this weight, but flies with the energy that they throw on the screen; besides, the main focus is the dancing and that's where the flick truly delivers. Additional nods go out to Ice-T flexing his early Sugarhill Gang-style rap muscles. Speaking of muscles, check out none other than the "Muscles-from-Brussels," Jean-Claude Van Damme in his very first on-screen appearance during the beach dance-off clip in the beginning (he's the extra in the unitard and the goofy grin). The end credits promise a sequel, which was indeed rolled out the same year, just seven months later, with one of the most infamously mocked titles in movie history -- Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
Breakin' on AllMovie
Breakin' (1984)
