Where there's a weak spoof, there's a Wayans

05/22/2009

Where there's a weak spoof, there's a Wayans

Clear the floor, "Dance Flick" passes the gross-out comic baton to the next generation of Wayans kin.

Rarely funny, this spoof of every dance movie you can imagine from "You Got Served" to "Step Up" with major twisted homage to "Fame," "High School Musical" and "Hairspray" relies instead on gut-reaction shock laughs.

If you've seen the trailer and you've seen pregnant battle dancer Charity (Essence Atkins) spin around on her tummy and then pop a smiling baby across the dance floor, you know the kind of kick-in-the-groin humor you're in for here.

The problem is, it rarely works.

Damien Dante Wayans (son of sibling Elvira Wayans), who toiled a while on TV's "My Wife and Kids," calls the erratic, wise-cracking shots. Damon Wayans Jr. is out front as Thomas Uncles (nicknamed Uncle Tom, of course), a street dancer/thug who might just turn his life around via dancing if he can stay alive long enough.

Thomas hooks up with clumsy would-be dancer Megan White at Musical High School. TV actress Shoshana Bush takes on the role inspired -- No, let's say ripped-off -- from Julia Stiles character in "Save the Last Dance."

The only character consistently funny in all this is extremely gifted comedienne Amy Sedaris. Sedaris, who no longer needs to prove she's fearless after starring in "Strangers With Candy" in 2005, lets it all hang out as the school's dance instructor. Let's just say she wears her leotards way too tight.

Her name: Ms. Cameltoe.

'Nuff said?

Nothing else even comes close to comic inspiration. This second generation of spoofing Wayanses turns out to be as lame as the last. The older Wayans had some success with the "Scary Movie" franchise, but also bestowed turkeys like "White Chicks" and "Little Man" on moviegoers.

Spend good money on this one if you must. But remember this:
If you do, they're gonna git you sucka.

Posted by Larry Ratliff at 04:40:36 PM in 1 jalapeño, comic spoof, film, PG-13, raunchy comedy

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Movie Reviews

After more than 30 years of reviewing almost every movie that hit big screens and small, Larry picks and chooses the movies he reviews these days. Many are aimed at baby boomers and those who want a little more for their movie money than merely gratuitous violence, sex and F-bombs.

05/22/2009