Freak Dance

A parody of dance movies may not have been absolutely necessary, but better that the cult fave improvisational sketch comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade are behind it than the hacks who made Epic Movie, Date Movie, etc. Not as jokey as Airplane, filmmakers Matt Besser and Neil Mahoney's Freak Dance affectionately spoofs the conventions of such genre touchstones as Save the Last Dance, You Got Served and Step Up. Megan Heyn stars as Cocolonia, a naive rich girl who defies her mother (Amy Poehler, who makes the most of her brief screen time) to hook up with a well-chiseled hip hop dance crew. With the entire town against them (“I think you dancers are the source of most of this city's problems,” they are told), the crew prepare to take on a rival troupe of real dirty dancers. A little unsteady on its feet by the end, Freak Dance nevertheless sports some good laughs (and you can dance to it!). I give it a 6. A strong optional purchase. (D. Liebenson)