Wednesday, May 19, 2010

StreetDance: First Hip-Hop Themed 3-D Movie Ever?

Touted by the BBC as the first European film that’s entirely shot in 3-D, will StreetDance have the potential to join the roster of financially successful 3-D movies of 2010?


By: Ringo Bones


Film critics seem to have reached a consensus when they are now starting to blame James Cameron’s Avatar on the now de rigueur practice that big-budget movie releases should have a 3-D version in order to qualify as being a big-budget movie. When the BBC coverage on StreetDance back in May 11, 2010 – which it called the first ever European film to be entirely shot in 3-D - for its slated release in May 21. It seems that the Beeb is yet again trying their damnedest to convince the whole world that the African culture behind hip-hop is not just an exclusively American inner-city cultural phenomenon. As if the Brits – with the help of the Beeb - have ever manage to tout their very own version of Grandmaster Flash or Afrika Bambaataa. Anyway, the movie is primarily based on the nitty-gritty reality behind the hardships faced by your typical dance crew participants of Britain’s Got Talent.

Even though I haven’t seen the movie yet and the following synopsis is based on the various trailers that had been aired so far making my accounts a non-spoiler. Much of the bulk of StreetDance revolves around a very talented but financially impoverished street dance crew training for the UK championships who find themselves being forced to work with ballet dancers in return for rehearsal space. With no common ground given the well-established Kultur Kampf between such differing artforms and passions riding high. The two groups of dancers soon realize that they need to find a way of working together to be able to compete at the championships.

While the supposedly first European dance-based film to be shot in 3-D when it came to light back in March 2010. Namely, the collaboration between Pina Bausch and Wim Wenders on Bausch’s avant-garde ballet choreography – unfortunately failed to register in the consciousness of 3-D movie enthusiasts that it could end up going straight to 3-D capable Blu-Ray DVD. While StreetDance 3-D has a more popular subject matter – namely rap and hip-hop-themed dance contest of Britain’s Got Talent – that it is very likely be shown in packed 3-D capable movie houses in May 21 as opposed to a cozy home theatre set-up. Just be hopeful that your local movie house’s sound system can handle the energetic soundtrack that is more at home in your nearest discotheque.