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140 reviews in total

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33 out of 41 people found the following review useful:
It would have been impossible for this or any movie to be as sweet as Jessica Alba, but that doesn't keep it from trying., 9 April 2004
Author: Victor Field from London, England

Any comparisons between "Honey" and "Glitter" are probably due to both movies having script-work by Kate Lanier (who, funnily enough, isn't listed on the completed movie)... and, of course, to their having slightly similar plots. Except that "Glitter" is likely to be more of a black mark on Mariah Carey's book than "Honey" is on Jessica Alba's.

This movie about a kind-hearted young woman in New York who uses dancing to help the people in her neighbourhood (the people that she meets when she's walking down the street... sorry, couldn't resist) and who's plucked from a nightclub to become the Paula Abdul of the 21st century - she even has a little mole on her face - is aptly named; it's as sweet-natured as its title character and has little if any benefit on your system, except to slip down nice and easy and leave not very much behind. It's filled with all the realism you'd expect from the producer of "Legally Blonde" and "Josie and the Pussycats," but it's not quite as much fun as either. Part of it is a personal thing (the Rodney Jerkins-executive produced music that permeates the movie isn't my thing, rhythmic though it is), but the thin, originality-challenged scripting and silly dialogue are more of a problem; when our bartender-by-night/dance-teacher-by-day heroine tells a kid "Your flava's hot" it's a little embarrassing, although in fairness "Honey"'s street talk doesn't make you wince as much as some other examples of this kind of thing.

To be honest, the movie pretty much goes in one ear and out the other; there's not a single truly dramatic moment, with the setbacks coming on cue (when Li'l Romeo's character gets arrested it, and many other moments in the movie, plays like a less-than-brilliant After School Special) and the characters are right out of Cliches Central, from the almost saintly title character to the sexually predatory rival dancer. (And note to the filmmakers: as anyone who's ever watched MTV, VH-1 et al will confirm, music videos don't credit the choreographer on screen... regardless of what the one that plays next to the movie's end credits might say.)

But it's impossible to really hate "Honey"; the movie's too harmless and good-tempered for anyone to get into a hissyfit over its drawbacks, and though the R&B-flavoured cameos mean a lot of people who see this movie will probably be going "Who's this Tweet person?" Missy Elliott is genuinely funny in her very brief scenes. The dancing's also good, which is one of the main reasons to go and see movies like this; and though it doesn't actually seem to have anything like a narrative drive (it just seems to end instead of climax), there have been worse movies from music video directors, e.g. almost anything directed by Russell Mulcahy.

Oh yes, Jessica. She doesn't quite seem like the streetwise type, but she isn't supposed to be; she looks the part and comes off reasonably well, as well as having the edge over Jennifer Beals in "Flashdance" in that she actually does most of her own dancing. This isn't really the best vehicle for her, to be honest, but Jessica's an undeniable charmer on screen, and far too sexy for this or anything she's been in (with the arguable exception of "Paranoid") to be an unbearable experience. All she has to do is improve her choice of scripts...

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23 out of 27 people found the following review useful:
Watchable for fans of the genre, 15 May 2004

Author: Evil_kid from Sweden

Pros: - Jessica Alba is likeable

- The Dancing is good and frequent

- Missy Elliott, Tweet and other hip hop stars can be seen in cameo roles.

- It never gets too slow or too boring

Cons: - The characters don't feel realistic in certain situations

- ...that goes for the plot too. For example, peolpe seem to know a dance routine by looking at it once.

- The plot is unoriginal, you know where "Honey" is heading.

Summary: "Honey" is a likeable film, but you have to enjoy listening to hip hop and watch people dance.

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17 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
Oh, are you fo' real?, 1 February 2008

Author: Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois

I got a three pack on a DVD at Wal Mart for ten dollars a few weeks ago and Honey was on the cover, never saw the movie, wasn't really interested when it came out, but I figured why not see it for ten dollars? Sounds silly, but who knows? Sometimes you find little treasures here and there that are cheap, plus, I remember that this was the film that really introduced Jessica Alba to the movie business industry. Of course, she's really huge now, and judging from this film, Honey that I watched last night, I have to say other than her looks, I am surprised she made it this far. I don't mean to sound horrible on the film or anything, but this just seemed like a giant rap video for me and the plot was way too average and predictable with some cheesy street slang.

Honey Daniels has three jobs: a bartender, a sales girl at a CD store, and also a dance teacher at her mom's little business to keep kids off the street. But more than anything, Honey wants to be a music video back up dancer. Her wishes come true when a director, Michael, welcomes her to the dance floor and makes her a choreographer. All her dreams are coming true, until she realizes that she forgets the more important things in life that mean so much to her. She eventually wants to open a club of her own to help out the neighborhood kids.

Honey has the typical street slang which I didn't find attractive, you just can't take it seriously. Alba, she's such a pretty girl, BUT, I'm very sorry, the girl cannot act, I didn't feel an ounce of sympathy or compassion for her character, she played off as this naive little thing, when she could have played it more smart and strong. Not to mention what was the whole Missy Elliot dialog? "What is this? This? This? Ugh? Ugh?"... it was supposed to be funny, but Missy comes off flat. Mekhi should have had more screen time, the guy is the only one with talent in the film. The dance moves are good, but I just wish they wouldn't have made this into a giant rap video.

2/10

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23 out of 36 people found the following review useful:
Delightful and Enjoyable Feel-Good Movie – A Homage to Hip-Hop and for Those Who Fight for Their Dreams, 17 September 2005

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In a poor neighborhood, the choreographer Honey Daniels (Jessica Alba) works in a record store during the day and as a bartender in a night-club in the night-shift, and teaches dance to teenagers of her community. She dreams to be successful as a video-clip dancer. When she meets the video director Michael Ellis (David Moscow), she believes that her dreams have come true. When Michael discloses his real intentions with her, she decides to struggle for making her dreams really come true.

I have just watched "Honey" because of the name of Jessica Alba in the cast. Fortunately I did not pay attention to the unfair and very underrated IMDb User Rating. "Honey" is indeed a delightful and enjoyable feel-good movie. Certainly it is not a masterpiece, and it will never be indicated for an Oscar, but it is not its intention. "Honey" is, first of all, a great homage to hip-hop, with the participation of many stars such as Tweet, Missy Elliot, Blaque, Jadakiss, Ginuwine among others, and awesome dance choreographs. The story has a good message that everybody must fight to make the dreams come true. The stunning Jessica Alba is wonderful in the role of Honey. The story may be corny for bitter viewers, with most of the characters being nice; horrible, for those who have prejudice against poor people or hip-hop; or great for a viewer that appreciate a great entertainment like me. The music score is fantastic, and the DVD released in Brazil by Universal is outstanding, full of wonderful extras. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Honey – No Ritmo dos Seus Sonhos" ("Honey – In the Rythim of Your Dreams")

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Surprisingly Watchable, 9 June 2005

Author: Robert W. (Robert_duder@hotmail.com) from Ontario, Canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Honey was a film I hadn't heard much about. A few people had mentioned it if only as a passing Jessica Alba conversation. It took me some time to actually sit down and watch it but I was pleasantly surprised. I admit I am not a fan of hip hop music which was a big reason I hadn't bothered to see it.

Honey is the story of dancer and nighttime bartender Honey Daniels. She dreams of making it big in the world of dancing and she has the moves but hasn't been discovered yet. By chance she is noticed by big time music video director Michael Ellis who launches her career by putting her front and center in some of the biggest music videos in the industry. As her fame grows she loses touch with some of the things most important to her, her neighborhood, her best friend, the kids she used to teach dance too. She tries to juggle both but it becomes a challenge. Ellis introduces her into choreography and she begins to write the dance moves and further her fame. Finally she finds a balance when she realizes she might be able to help get some of her neighborhood kids off the street by putting them in music videos. Unfortunately she quickly discovers Michael Ellis never wanted her for anything more than sex and he fires her when she doesn't give it up and on top of that blacklists her in the industry so no one will work with her. She returns to her neighborhood where she discovers the drop in center where she taught dance has closed and now she desperately wants to open up a dance studio where the kids can dance and have fun safely off the streets. In order to raise the money to buy the space for the dancer center Honey organizes a huge dance show with the kids performing. With the help from her neighborhood and the kids she will succeed in all her dreams.

Any hip hop fan will appreciate this film from cameos alone. The film is chock full of musical cameos from Missy Elliot to Jadakiss. It's true that plot is a little thin in the film but quite frankly it was much more of a plot than I thought it would be. I had the film pegged as a Flashdance, Save The Last Dance type but it was less about the dancer and more about her love for the kids. It was actually rather uplifting and their final song of the film was very cool and made me smile. I've read some less than favorable reviews on this movie but for me it came as a surprise that it wasn't horrible. The cast is alright but they don't really hold up the movie as much as the story does. Jessica Alba is decent in the lead role, and Lil' Romeo does a great job in his role as Benny, the troubled kid from the streets. It doesn't have a lot of depth but if you enjoy hip hop and want something uplifting, it's worth seeing. 7/10

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40 out of 74 people found the following review useful:
Don't pay out Honey!, 24 March 2005

Author: thickbrick268 from Australia

I thought it was a great movie with a good storyline about a girl with a dream of making it big, helping out those who can't have that life. Yes, a little predictable at times, but the thought was there. The movie faced a lot of issues, from drug use and dealing to just generally believing in your dreams and no movie is complete without the fairytale love story. The dancing was awesome and Jessica Alba was amazing as Honey Daniels. People will give up their dreams if things don't turn out the way they wanted them to, but Honey stuck by hers and accomplished something she'd always wanted to. I think she is an inspiration for many.

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10 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
not that bad..., 3 July 2004

Author: pri_e from Sydney, Australia

After reading a lot of the reviews on this board, I thought this movie was going to be really bad however I found that this movie isn't really as terrible as some people have made it out to be. Jessica Alba plays Honey Danies, a hip-hop dance teacher hoping to make it as a choreographer, for someone who didn't have any previous dance experience, she sure does a fantastic job! Mekhi Pfifer is good in his supporting role as the barber with a lot of heart.

This movie is something that has been done many times before so you can't expect an oscar nominated screenplay etc etc. However, its something you can enjoy and if you are into the music or dancing, then this is definitely something for you

a 6/10

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10 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
The star of the show, 22 October 2005

Author: jpschapira from Argentina

Jessica Alba is the star of the show; in this movie and in Hollywood since I don't know when. Her situation is something to detail about. Personally, I look at her and I think she has acted her whole life. Everyone talks about her everyday as if she had decades in the business, but she doesn't. I could say I believe she's done over ten films, when this movie was probably her fifth important role. She did a TV show I never saw for two years, but even before that, her name was on the poster of the movies she appeared in. She is a star by nature, a leading star; and "Honey" is the evidence that proves my statement.

When the film starts, Honey Daniels (Alba) is working at the bar in a disco serving the usual free drinks to her best friend Gina (Joy Briant): "One, please", the friend says, and two guys standing right by her get closer: "Make that three". Honey, with a big smile in her face, tells the guys: "Today is your lucky day", and then Gina interrupts: "Don't get to excited though; she'll not be here much longer…She's gonna make it". So the guys ask how she's gonna make it.

Right away we find out Honey dances; and that she dances awesomely well. If Alba did her own dance moves I don't know for sure, but it always looks like her; in the dance floor, in the videos, in the dance lessons. OK, the film: Honey has a great talent for dancing and she could be a classic ballerina but she prefers to teach hip-hop in a place her mother owns. She goes to auditions, she works hard, and she ultimately gets recognized.

But Alonzo Brown and Kim Watson's story is not about "making it"; it is about the good-hearted people who fight for what they want, don't sell and don't quit. I don't even know if this is a veridical portrait of the hip hop world, but the video shoots seem real and I guess the artists/directors relationships should be how the movie shows them. What I wanted to say is that in the music world, mostly with hip hop (which I consider the easiest market today), when people make it, it goes over their heads, and they leave everything behind.

Although not Honey Daniels; she'll not fall into temptation, and she'll be there for the ones she cares for. It may sound too formulaic, but it's beautiful. Debutant director at the time Bille Woodruff, with previous experience from musical videos, shows us the nice face of his characters' world. Everything is shiny, everyone's happy, everyone's smiling. Yeah, sure some bad things happen, but everything will be ultimately worked out.

Great casting work with the youngsters, especially with Zachary Williams as a little boy, Raymond, who needs someone to watch over him; and Lil' Romeo in a tremendous and talented performance as the teenager Benny, who debates himself about being a gangster or a normal child. This plus Missy Elliott's cameo and Mekhi Phifer in the most charming performance of his career, and the some of the best lines as: "You peoples? Playa, playa, how'd you swing that? I've been trying' to be her peoples for weeks; ain't had no luck".

Not enough? Alba looks gorgeously beautiful in every outfit she wears and her acting skills are way above the film's requirements…She's stunning now and it is only the beginning.

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19 out of 34 people found the following review useful:
A waste of your good time., 30 March 2004
Author: Gordon GeKKo from Brussels, Belgium

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This story about a girl, living in the ghetto, who tries to make a living through teaching dance classes, is a complete waste of your time.

The story is weak, and predictable. I also have the feeling it gives you an unrealistic vision about life in the ghetto, the moral coming out of the movie is something like "don't deal drugs, stick to following dancing classes and you'll be alright". Which is a load of crap, obviously. It also ends in an unrealistic happy end (of course, a good ending to an unrealistic movie). Jessica's beautiful smile can't make up for the lack of tension/story/depth in this movie.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, unless you put the sound off and just enjoy watching the girl or something while listening to something more useful than the script.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Shows Dreams CAN Come True.., 19 May 2008

Author: Dragoneyed363 from United States

I loved Honey.Jessica Alba is one of my favorite actresses anyway,and this movie totally did wonders for me.It was heartwarming,while still having that pizazz most dance films DON'T have.Lil' Romeo,although he gets on my nerves,did okay in this movie.I was not irritated by him at all.What was so horrible about this movie?It shows that if you follow your heart,anything can happen,and THAT'S TRUE,ISN'T IT?This movie symbolizes hope,desire,and love,while still having that ghetto edge to it,and I find that true creational talent.It was just a movie to enjoy for what it's worth,not to worship it as one of the best movies of all time.

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