The early years of the 21st century witnessed a resurgence in the popularity of dance films, with some even evolving into successful franchises. One notable example was the 2004 film You Got Served, written and directed by Chris Stokes.
Stokes is a former record executive who had previously worked with African American boy bands such as B2K and IMX. The film starred the lead singers of these bands, Omari "Omarion" Grandberry and Marques Houston, as the protagonists, Elgin and David, two friends from Los Angeles whose lives revolve around street dance. They form a dance crew that competes in dance battles, with additional income generated by serving as drug couriers for a local crime boss Emerald (played by Michael Taliferro). The friendship is tested after a disastrous dance battle with a rival crew led by a rich white youth, Wade (played by Christopher Jones), and Elgin's romantic relationship with David's sister Lyah (played by Jennifer Freeman). The two friends ultimately solve their financial problems and settle their differences at a grand MTV dance competition with a large prize and the chance to participate in a music video by Lil' Kim, who plays herself in the film.
You Got Served was initially released in January 2004, a time when studios typically dump projects they have little faith in. Critics greeted the film with predictable lack of enthusiasm, and the generally poor reviews were justified. Stokes, as a filmmaker, lacks talent, and his direction, although competent, is unimaginative and unable to compensate for the script's serious deficiencies.
To make the film more engaging than its thin and cliché-ridden plot might suggest, Stokes clumsily incorporates elements of a hood film intended to make it "gritty" and add "gangsta" street cred. This involves a subplot involving drug dealers and the character of Teshawn "the Saint” (played by future rap star Malcolm David Kelley), a young street child who is semi-adopted by the dance crew and whose tragic fate serves as a catalyst for its members to reconcile. This subplot is particularly jarring and feels forced, adding to the overall sense of incoherence. Another important subplot is resolved off-screen in a deus ex machina manner, made somewhat more tolerable by the presence of stand-up comedian Steve Harvey as the dance competition organizer, Mr. Rudd. Harvey provides the best acting job in the entire film, which is a testament to the overall lack of talent among the rest of the cast. The acting in You Got Served is, at best, subpar. At times, the acting, combined with uninspired dialogue, is so bad that the film approaches the "so bad it's good" territory. The rest of the cast fails to impress, and their performances are a significant drawback to the film's overall quality.
However, some of the film's flaws are compensated by the high quality of the dancing scenes, which were, at least for the target audience, the main reason to watch You Got Served. The film's success can be attributed to its ability to deliver what teenage girls wanted: a dance film featuring boy band stars in main roles. As a result, the film defied the critics and performed well at the box office. In 2011, a loose sequel was produced in Canada under the title You Got Served: Beat the World.
RATING: 3/10 (+)
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