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You Got Served

Review by: Alysa Salzberg AlysaSalzberg@TheCinemaSource.com

Ever since writing the review of You Got Served's theatrical release, I've not infrequently spent sleepless nights worrying that maybe I overanalyzed the flick. After all, the movie, which gives us a glimpse into the lives of Elgin (B2K’s Omari Grandberry) and David (Immature’s Marques Houston), two young men who live for the dance battles they and their crew compete in, doesn't pretend to be a contender for the Screenwriters Guild Awards "” it's all about the dancing. Watching it again, though, this time on DVD, I can't help but feel my analysis of the movie wasn't totally pointless. And that's a good thing, because now I can sleep at night.

See, no matter how hard I try, it's hard to get away from certain things that are a sort of garnish to the delectable dish of the dancers' slick moves. I'm talking about the use of stereotypes and clichés, and, even more so, about their absences. It's not at all to say You Got Served, which takes place in the lower-income areas of L.A., takes "ghetto" characters and gives them a new spin and depth, leaving viewers to feel differently than they might have before. Rather, bleak realism (our two main characters almost matter-of-factly run errands for a drug lord from time to time) and crazy idealism (none of these kids smoke or drink, let alone curse) are counterbalanced in such a way as to come off as a "street" movie written by a non-"street" person who's been watching the Hallmark Channel for a 48-hour stretch.

This is indeed You Got Served's biggest flaw, but I also find it something that makes the film absolutely fascinating. In fact, if I were teaching a course on the social history of America in the early 21st century, I might make this movie required viewing. Not because it realistically depicts life in the "bad neighborhoods" of L.A., but because it shows so clearly both mainstream America's perceptions of that place (drive-by’s, drugs, and crime surround the boys' insulated world) and the hopes that some residents, community activists, and others share about how life there could be (conflicts solved with nonviolence, strong family and community ties).

As the Special Edition DVD's extra features show, this idealism wasn't a casual detail. Nor was the movie's seemingly throwaway plot. In the included featurette, everyone who played in the movie talks about how they learnt so much about "acting." Some of them discuss transforming into their characters with as much intensity as Johnny Depp or Marlon Brando might. I'd write it all off to the self-aggrandizing masturbation that making-of featurettes can sometimes be, but these kids (many of them musicians and

dancers) are too earnest to be insincere. If the plot was considered more important than you might think, so, too, is that idealism I've been talking about. Also in the featurette, comedian Steve Harvey, who plays Mr. Rad, owner of the club where most of the intense dance battles go down, and perhaps the film's most idealized character, explains that after his first reading of the script, he insisted the role be made one of a positive father figure. Hence, at last, an explanation of why the guy is constantly dishing out mini-lectures about fair play, staying out of trouble, and giving your all, as well as providing a safe forum for street kids' self-expression. It's cool that Harvey stuck to his beliefs about the need for such a role model in the film, but all too often the movie suffers a bit because of it, veering deep into the saccharine. I'd say something about how the same lessons that Mr. Rad expresses could be dealt out with subtlety and all, but when you watch more of the extras, you see that this is a flick whose intended audience includes the kind of people portrayed in the film "” inner city kids bursting with life and misdirected creativity. Like the rest of us, they're not coming to this movie for the lessons it might bring, but rather for the kickass dancing. In this case, you can't afford to be subtle.

This is absolutely true, since the moves in this film totally blow everything else about it out of the water. One of my fears about watching You Got Served again was that all the passion, energy, and sheer kickassness of the dancing would turn out to be less impressive the second time around. But oh my God, it was not "” the dances are as awesome and incredible as ever. Even on a much smaller screen, they have so much power it's like they fill the room. Watching on my couch, I'll admit I almost took Luda's advice and stood up…but then I realized my neighbors across the street might see me, and think I was having an epileptic fit. Needless to say, my desire to dance with rhythm and verve was magnified a million times over "” even though I'd seen every step in the movie before.

The director, cast, and crew commentaries on the disc echo my amazement, combining behind-the-scenes tidbits (did you know that a number of the coolest steps were improvised on the spot?) and the commentators yelling, cheering, and generally looking on in awe. Wordless space on commentaries is generally something I don't like, but here I totally understood. When you see someone go from just standing to flipping in the air, or a group of people lunging crazily

sideways as though the whole floor's tilted, what more can you do but look on and wait for the next amazing move?

You Got Served on DVD is a great thing, whether you're watching it to get another perspective on America's image of "the ghetto", or, more likely and far more appropriately, you want some unforgettable urban dance sequences with the sickest moves you've ever seen.

Dance Grade: A+Movie Plot Grade: D
DVD Grade: B+Overall Grade: B+

Click here for our review of the theatrical release of this movie.

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