Breakin' / Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo

During its heyday, Cannon Films had a knack for both capitalizing on burgeoning trends and replicating blockbusters on a shoestring budget. 1984's Breakin' essentially transferred the Flashdance template to hip-hop culture. Instead of New York, the action here takes place in Los Angeles, where diner waitress Kelly (Lucinda Dickey) hopes to make it as a professional dancer, although paying gigs keep eluding her. And then Kelly discovers break-dancing, which leads her to ostensible love interest Ozone (choreographer Adolfo “Shabba-Doo” Quiñones), and his funny friend Turbo (Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers). Together, they form a crew that will ultimately turn pro. In the same-year sequel, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, Kelly now works as a professional dancer, while Ozone and Turbo teach break-dancing at a community center. When a developer threatens to tear the place down in order to build a shopping complex, the old gang regroups to raise funds necessary to save it. Along the way, Kelly battles with her upper-class parents, who dismiss the working-class company she's been keeping, and Turbo finds a love interest in a Latino dancer who doesn't speak English, which leads to a variety of sitcom hijinks. If the acting is lackluster (at best), the dance moves are fun, and the soundtracks include gems from Kraftwerk and the Art of Noise (plus there are cameos from Jean-Claude Van Damme and Ice-T). Extras include a new audio commentary and behind-the-scenes featurettes. A strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)