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155 out of 204 people found the following review useful: Why Movie Made?, 8 April 2008 Author: pfogertyca from United States
With title like this you know you get pretty much lot of junk. Acting bad. Script bad. Director bad. Grammar bad.Movie make lot of noise that really not music and lot of people yell. Movie make bad racial stereotype. Why come every movie with black hero have drug addict? Why come hero always have to dance to be success? Why come famous rapper always have to be in dance movie? Why come letter "s" can't be in title?Hollywood need to stop dumb down audience and make movie that have people with brain who know how speak proper English.Do self favor and not go see.
13 out of 19 people found the following review useful: why is this nr.23 in the bottom 100???, 20 May 2008 Author: beda_sha3 from Italy
I was a bit scared to watch this movie due to its rates. But living in Italy titles like this never ever come across and I love step so much that I decided to give it try. And how surprised I was! The story is different from any other dance-movie I've seen lately, with a deeper meaning than just "winning". It's touching and well written and well directed. Raya is such a strong character, I love the fact that she never doubts herself, she's so mature and focused and AWARE of her TALENT (and what talent Rutina Wesley has, my jaw dropped in the final dance scene). The way she pursues her dream and refuses to let anything stop her is, honestly, inspiring. Also, the fact that she's not the typical super-hot chick (see Jessica Alba, Briana Evigan, Jenna Dewan, Zoe Seldana...) makes her really appealing and real. Seriously, why is this movie rated so low? You can understand between the first 5 minutes that it's a good work. Really good actually. I even cried at the end of the movie. And the dancing routines are just sick.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Genre film made OK by good dance moves and an engaging turn from Wesley, 31 January 2009 Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK
You know what? I'm staying off the message boards on this one because I'm not looking to get into the debate over why this film is so poorly rated on IMDb. It does confuse me to hear those classing it "worst film ever" discussing it as generic and bland, nothing but a version of countless other films – so why, if it is so bland and generic is it in the IMDb bottom 100 at the time of writing? I'll let others say "racism" because I don't think it is that – although I do think that it is perhaps a cultural thing. I've never really understood the whole idea of "krunking" or "stepping" or whatever it is called (whenever us white people know a slang word it immediately changes!) and would struggle not to feel silly if I was to do it. However I do love the b-boy stuff and breaking and there is a fine line between them.Why this culture of impressive dance moves and physical discipline is mocked by the mainstream while cheerleading is seen as an All-American experience I'm not sure – again I'll leave it to the boards to debate whether it is racism or just a cultural thing but it is odd that this film is rather lower than things similar. I say this because I do not see a massively poor film – and trust me, I have seen some massively poor films in my time and I do not see how IMDb users can rate this lower than the significantly worse "You Got Served". Now don't get me wrong because I'm not building myself up to a gushing review full of praise, because this film is not brilliant – it is just not anywhere near as bad as people say, in fact it is OK.The plot is fairly straightforward and generic but it benefits from having a lead character that I cared about in Raya. Her situation is obvious and I won't defend the sweep of the film because it does tread a genre path but it is made better by several things. First and foremost the dance routines are very good. They are not the hyper-edited promo pieces of You Got Served but are presented in small clubs, bare stages and with a clean approach from camera that allows us to see what is happening. I'm not sure why they cannot be appreciated for what they are but I really enjoyed them and found myself exclaiming "wow" involuntarily several times towards the end. OK visually the rest of the film is quite basic, this comes with the budget and it is not "ugly" so much as it is more television standard than cinema.The second selling point is Wesley's turn as Raya. Here we have an actress and a character who is not really the best choice if you are making a genre film. She is smart, doesn't talk street and, to be frank, is very dark skinned. Put it another way – she is not the person I would want to be marketing the film off the back of. However what she can do is emote convincingly and I found her acting chops to be just as good as her moves (which are good). She is charismatic and engaging and she covers for the many clichés surrounding her. Armstrong isn't as good nor did I need Davis and Cole turning up as themselves but these are the type of things that make the film "OK" rather than good.How She Move is not Citizen Kane but it is not the worst film ever made either. Yes it is a genre film and it is weaker than I would like in regards plot and writing but it is still an OK film. The dance moves are impressive and well delivered and Wesley emotes well in delivering a believable and sympathetic character, which made all the difference to me.
8 out of 13 people found the following review useful: One Moment Can Change A Million After It, 28 June 2008 Author: Danielle from Toronto, Canada
I must give How She Move a near-perfect rating because the content is truly great. As a previous reviewer commented, I have no idea how this film has found itself in IMDBs bottom 100 list! That's absolutely ridiculous! Other films--particular those that share the dance theme--can't hold a candle to this one in terms of its combination of top-notch, believable acting, and amazing dance routines.From start to finish the underlying story (this is not just about winning a competition) is very easy to delve into, and surprisingly realistic. None of the main characters in this are 2-dimensional by any means and, by the end of the film, it's very easy to feel emotionally invested in them. (And, even if you're not the crying type, you might get a little weepy-eyed before the credits roll.) I definitely recommend this film to dance-lovers and, even more so, to those who can appreciate a poignant and well-acted storyline. How She Move isn't perfect of course (what film is?), but it's definitely a cut above movies that use pretty faces to hide a half-baked plot and/or characters who lack substance. The actors and settings in this film make for a very realistic ride that is equally enthralling thanks to the amazing talent of the dancers!
32 out of 61 people found the following review useful: Not all that bad Honestly, 29 January 2008 Author: kcdude21 from United States
I noticed this movie was getting trashed well before it hit the theaters and I too didn't have high hopes for it. I figured it was another "You Got Served" type of movie with some nice dance moves and horrid acting. I was at the theater and deciding between this and Meet the Spartans and picked this. To my surprise the acting wasn't bad at all and the movie was actually pretty good. The fact that it has a lower rating than You Got Served is absolutely ridiculous. Instead of listening to the garbage posted on here I recommend going to see a matinée showing of this movie so you don't spend too much. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with how wrong everyone has been about it. When it comes to dance movies this is certainly one of the better ones with far superior acting than many of the other ones. Go see the movie and judge for yourself. Hopefully the rating will rise after it comes out on DVD and more people check the movie out instead of judging it based on comments before the movie released.edit The movie is now moving closer to its correct rating. Over 1000 people have given it a rating of 9, a bit too high but at least it is helping to offset the ridiculous votes of 1.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: If you liked Barber Shop you will like this film, 7 August 2009 Author: Objectivity
Well, if you are open-minded enough to have liked Barber Shop, then you will like this Canadian film.If your mind is as closed-minded as Fort Knox, then you will give it the current score that it has : 2.5.This is a film for anybody prepared to watch films from outside of their own racial grounds. It is engaging, it is true to life, on two or three occasions you lose the connections between the scenes, but many times, especially towards the end, you find yourself having a tear or two in your eyes and this simply because it so often mirrors what life can be like.I like it and recommend it to anyone open minded beyond the traditional American film.
8 out of 14 people found the following review useful: This movie is better than average dance movie, 4 August 2008 Author: newatt-2 from Toronto, Canada
I watch them all.It's not better than the amazing ones (_Strictly Ballroom_, _Shall we dance?_ (Japanese version), but it's completely respectable and pleasingly different in parts.I am an English teacher and I find some of the ignorance about language in some of these reviews rather upsetting. For example: the "name should scream don't watch. 'How she move.' Since when can movie titles ignore grammar?" There is nothing inherently incorrect about Caribbean English grammar. It's just not Canadian standard English grammar. Comments about the dialogue seem off to me. I put on the subtitles because I'm a Canadian standard English speaker, so I just AUTOMATICALLY assumed that I would have trouble understanding all of it. It wasn't all that difficult and it gave a distinctly different flavour as the other step movies I have seen were so American.I loved that this movie was set in Toronto and, in fact, wish it was even more clearly set there. I loved that the heroine was so atypically cast. I enjoyed the stepping routines. I liked the driven Mum character. I felt that many of the issues in the movie were addressed more subtly than is characteristic of dance movies.In summary, if you tend to like dance movies, then this is a decent one. If you have superiority issues about the grammar of the English standard you grew up speaking, your narrow mind may have difficulty enjoying this movie.
Shockingly underrated on IMDb, 2 November 2009 Author: rgcustomer from Canada
This film is shockingly underrated on IMDb. Like so many films, this isn't Shawshank. But it's a reasonably good, if predictable, dance competition / personal growth film. If you want to spend an hour and a half watching a sort of 8 Mile for a female step dancer, than I think you'll like it.Judging from the IMDb ratings, my guess is that this movie was approaching the top 250, and was "vote bombed" with many 1s, as happens to so many films that aren't about the mob, don't have special effects, or include non-white or non-straight characters.It's an American film, but it's not a US film. Set mostly in Toronto the cues are subtle, and some audiences may think it's set entirely in the US just because the final competition is in the border city of Detroit.I liked the music. I liked the dance (but not convinced it's worth $50,000 ... but what do I know). The characters were easy on the eyes.I do agree the title sucks. I don't remember anyone in the film saying those words, and it should have an "s". (No, it's not a foreign language).There's not a lot to hate about this film (and let's be honest, a vote of 1 means you hated it) so I can only assume that it's an expression of hate for the kind of people in it, and that's sad.
3 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Heartfelt performances and incredible choreography almost save "How She Move.", 28 April 2008 Author: nikplowman from South Africa
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Dance films, however clichéd and corny they may be, have an energy and vibe to them that transcends the need for a rock solid plot line. Things are no different in "How She Move," except that the performances and atmosphere of the picture are more captivating than most contemporary dance films.After the drug-overdose induced death of her older sister, Raya (Rutina Wesley) is haunted by the accident and her grief takes over her life and choices throughout the film. Her sister's death left her family in financial ruins, and this forces Raya to leave her elite private school for a far grittier public school in Jane Finch-Corridor, Toronto. She had the opportunity to get a scholarship that could get her back into her private school, a chance she destroyed, and now her only option is to earn the money to get back into the school on her own terms.As Raya drifts further into the world that took the life of her sister, being a world of drugs, alcohol and partying, she still clashes with a few who believe her to be nothing more than a snob. Her main clash is with tough girl Michelle (Tre Armstrong), which eventually leads to a number of unplanned dance-offs, using her undeniable step skills to break out.Her mother (Melanie Nicholls-King) urges her to focus on her studies and Raya keeps the fact that she blew her scholarship exam a secret. She continues focusing her attention on dance, ignoring her mother's warnings.She sets her sights on the all-male dance crew, JSJ, of which her good friend Bishop (Dwain Murphy), is a member of. JSJ are heading towards the "Step Monster" dance competition in Detroit and the winners would walk away with a rather large cash prize ($50, 000). Step teams and competitions are extremely sexist, and while Raya's decision to join JSJ may isolate her from her fellow female steppers, the only way for her to get the kind of recognition she needs is to join a male team. When she clashes with Bishop, she is forced to leave JSJ for a rival team that has less chance of winning the top prize, only to return to JSJ for the finale showdown. It is not my intention to spoil any of the highly predictable details, but this kind of information comes standard with any dance-minded film.The magnetic and expertly choreographed dance routines are not mindlessly implemented to distract from the story, we are given time to understand the performers first and learn what makes them tick. Dancing comes second. The film's script, which reworks many worn out plot points into a thing of urgency, is invested in exploring the interactions and relationships of the, very often confined, characters far more than the usual one-dimensional examination this genre usually steeps to.The performances in the film are most surprising, with newcomer Rutina Wesley giving an admirable turn that serves as the anchor of the story. She is convincing and energetic, not only in her dancing. Her demonstration of how easily Raya's emotions fluctuate is powerful, and her body language is expertly defined. Melanie Nicholls-King and Conrad Coates give small but heart-warming and moving portrayals as Raya's parents, giving the film its rewarding sense of family values, but not only biological family, also the connections the dancers share with each other, especially the confrontations between Raya and Michelle.This is a dance film that just happens to be better than most others in the genre. It is an untidy and flawed film, and its faults, including the majority of the film's seemingly forced dialogue, are obvious. Director Ian Iqbal Rashid cleverly attempts to stay away from clichéd devices and story arcs (he is not always successful), infusing breathtaking choreography with resonant human interaction, that makes How She Move somewhat weighty and somewhat enjoyable, but nothing more.
2 out of 7 people found the following review useful: I knew this movie was going to suck when I saw the preview, 25 November 2008 Author: temperamint-1 from Trinidad and Tobago
I can always tell when something is going to be a hit. I see it or hear it, and get a good feeling. I did not get a good feeling watching the preview. I was not at all enthusiastic about this film, and I am not at all surprised that it is rated here as one of the worst 100 films. I was in fact proved right.The first thing that threw me off was the title. Not that I have a problem with ebonics(I am black by the way), but for a movie they could have used a better title, and for this time use a title that doesn't have bad grammar. I heard the dialog, saw the acting and all I could do was make faces.I also think that the dance movie theme is being overdone. At least "You Got Served" was better than this in my opinion. Even the soundtrack didn't thrill me.
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