A sad, sad disappointment for 90’s kids everywhere.
From the moment I put it into consideration to the second before I loaded the film, “Dance Fu” was destined to blow me away, or violently disappoint me. It’s just one of those kinds of movies.
It has all the bait and warning signs; direct-to-video, directed by Cedric the Entertainer, and of course, the pièce de résistance, Kel Mitchell. Indeed, Mr. “Who loves Orange Soda” himself, Kel Mitchell has decided to take another crack at an acting career.
But lest I forget, he isn’t simply starring in the film. Mitchell is also the writer and co-producer of “Dance Fu” as well. Typically when I watch the credits at the end of these films to find out who to blame for my suffering, it’s usually some no name with no face to attach to, comforting myself with the image of threatening chewing them out for the time that I’ll never get back. So imagine my sorrow upon discovering that my latest suffering stems from one of my childhood icons.
“Dance Fu” is a martial arts comedy in the loosest sense of the word. It tells the story of Chicago Pulaski Jones (Mitchell), a master at dance raised on the streets of Chicago, who receives an offer from his Uncle, Daddy J, to work for his new club, which is in fierce competition with corrupt club owner, Pretty Eye Willy (also played by Mitchell). When Pretty Eye Willy kills Daddy J for failing to sign the club over to him, Chicago goes on a quest for revenge, learning how to weaponize his dance skills and avenge his uncle.
Watching Mitchell in the role of both hero and villain is like watching an odd Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde metaphor play out on screen in regards to his own talent. As Chicago Jones, he brings a nice bit of a charm to his performance, taking the role seriously when it’s called for but playing up his own physical comedy. Sure, he’s never great and borders on unintentionally terrible but whenever he has to do something dramatic but you can’t help but genuinely appreciate the effort that he’s clearly putting forth.
His role as Pretty Eye Willy however, lands clearly on the other end of the spectrum. Imagine, if you will, a cross between Prince and Dave Chappelle’s interpretation of Rick James, synthesized into an annoying mugging idiot that lacks any hint of the satire that made the afformention “Chappelle’s Show” skit funny. Pretty Eye Willy enters the fray obnoxiously and never once dials back his performance to be bearable in the slightest, making Mitchell look bad for it.
And of course, I can’t go through this review without mentioning the stereotypes brought by Mitchell as Pretty Eye Willy but even worse, Affion Crockett as Chicago’s Asian kung fu master. The film already scrapes the bottom of the barrel for as many jokes as it can find but once they started to become offensive, that was when the anger began to rise. The film is by no means on a “Soul Plane” or “Rush Hour” level of bad but the fact that they resorted to doing such a thing never ceased to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Just about the only nice thing that I can say about “Dance Fu” is that when there actually was fighting and dancing on screen, it was pretty well choreographed. Some of the dance battle stuff is actually pretty impressive and the actual fights between Chicago and the thugs he faces has real impact. I actually found myself wowed by the choreography and its integration of musical rhythm into martial arts at several points.
Unfortunately by the time it unveils itself in the third act of the movie, it’s too little too late to save the final product.
1 Shatner out of 4
Bottom Line: I hope Mitchell is happy where he is, because “Dance Fu” sure isn’t getting him work any time soon.
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