Body Rock is a dance movie that seems to lack direction. It's certainly visually bright and presents itself as a more mature take on pop-lock films, featuring a cast with potential, but ultimately struggling to make good use of its resources. Director Marcelo Epstein appears to have created this as an homage to the street culture of New York at the time, including scenes that highlight graffiti and breakdancing. However, regardless of what John Lennon said, affection alone isn’t enough; some level of skill would have helped. New World produced and released Body Rock on September 28, 1984, and it does little to distinguish itself from other films of its kind. These movies were plentiful in the eighties; it felt like you couldn't turn one on without seeing someone doing headspins or tagging a train car. This film simply attempts to adopt a more "street" feel, though it’s an artificial one. The main character, Chilly, is portrayed as being aware of current trends and what’s considered cool. As a result, he's both an aspiring graffiti artist and a talented hype-man. Lorenzo Lamas plays him, embodying an eighties stereotype with his appearance – bare chest displaying “taco meat,” gold chains, a jean jacket, and a Lego-man haircut topped with a bandana. He comes across as quite foolish, yet paradoxically, he’s also remarkably unremarkable. Chilly consistently seeks to improve himself with minimal effort. He befriends La Ron A. Smith, a young breakdancer, and after paying him, convinces the child to teach him how to breakdance. The kid is genuinely skilled, and the filmmaker makes sure the audience recognizes this fact, showing off his dance moves repeatedly throughout the film. Soon, Chilly isn't just considered cool; he’s also the best breakdancer around. That essentially covers the plot. Grace Zabriskie plays Chilly’s mom, but it’s disappointing that her role is so limited – she mostly smokes cigarettes in bed. The movie largely consists of dance sequences strung together. If you enjoy television shows where different dance crews battle each other, this film will feel familiar. It's essentially just a series of dances instead of narrative development or exposition, making it quite superficial. They attempt to create a romantic connection between Lamas’ character and Claire, portrayed by Vicki Frederick, but the result is a pale imitation of Saturday Night Fever that feels forced. Enjoy Lorenzo Lamas’ over-the-top performance, appreciate the music, tolerate the average dance numbers, and chuckle at the melodrama that falls short of even soap opera standards. There's not much more to be said about it. If you generally dislike cheesy dance movies, this one won’t change your mind. RottenPop gives it two stars. First Screening: September 28th, 1984 (USA) RottenPop Rating: ★★

Source on TMDB