Metacritic Film

Planet B-Boy

Starring Knucklehead Zoo

MPAA RATING: Not Rated

Elephant Eye Films
Documentary
101 minutes | Color
USA
Released In Theaters March 21, 2008

With compelling characters and vibrant dance sequences, Planet B-Boy is set in the international world of b-boying, the urban dance more commonly known as "break dancing." Weaving between the vivid backdrops of Osaka, Paris, Seoul, and Las Vegas, spectacular choreography frames the intimate stories of dancers who struggle for their dreams despite being misunderstood by their larger societies and their own families. An American dancer in Vegas looks for his big break; a Korean son seeks his father's approval; a 12-year-old boy in France confronts his family's racism. All of the b-boys' lives collide in Germany where their skills are put to the ultimate test: the "Battle of the Year" finals, with crews from 18 nations vying for the title of World Champion. (Elephant Eye Films)

DIRECTED BY
Benson Lee

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

62 / 100

Critic Reviews

83	Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow The shows themselves are extraordinary, especially Japan's Ichigei group, which has the all-out fun and athleticism of a vitaminized Twyla Tharp troupe.
75	Boston Globe Wesley Morris It looks great and the dancing is the kind of stuff that would upstage the average pop star.
75	TV Guide Maitland McDonagh The crews are perfectly cast for maximum drama.
75	New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman Though he doesn't break any new documentary ground, Lee knows how to shoot his subjects. Their stories are moving, and their moves are thrilling.
75	San Francisco Chronicle David Wiegand Infectiously energetic.
70	The Hollywood Reporter Justin Lowe An eye-catching combination of cultural history, performer profiles and competition footage that should see enthusiastic response from niche audiences in urban and specialty venues.
70	The New York Times Matt Zoller Seitz From moment to moment, Planet B-Boy is fun, sometimes thrilling and packed with illuminating details and striking personalities.
70	Variety Dennis Harvey Often exhilarating docu charts several breakdancing crews' path to the Battle of the Year, which hosts national winners from 18 countries -- not excluding Israel, Belgium or Latvia -- in dazzling competitive displays.
67	Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov It turns out globalization has its good points after all, and they're sporting Chucks, Kangols, and post-Gomi DIY gear. Spin again.
50	Washington Post Ann Hornaday For all the energy and personality of its subjects, Planet B-Boy tends to drag, especially toward the competition finals.
50	Village Voice Ed Gonzalez Lee pays little attention to the roots of breakdancing or how it helped to spread hip-hop worldwide, choosing instead to obsess over the mad skillz of his international subjects.
25	New York Post Kyle Smith Proves that what might be (but probably isn't) worth five minutes of your time while you're passing through the Times Square subway station really isn't worth a 1 1/2-hour movie.

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