HONEY 2
(PG-13)
MOVIE: ** (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
Is it possible to watch the direct-to-DVD movie “Honey 2” and understand its complex plot without knowing the full story behind the first “Honey”? Not surprisingly, yes. Though it has an odd connection to the first movie that skips over certain elements and can be a bit confusing if you don’t know who was who from the first film.
Beyond that, if you don’t know anything about the dance culture, you’ll probably be lost on a couple cameos. Though I still haven’t figured out why the hell Audrina Patridge was doing in this movie (yeah, no shit, she’s a celebrity judge). Her fame is one of the greatest inexplicable mysteries of the universe.
“Honey 2” is a very rote dance movie, the kind that the Wayans Brothers spoofed in “Dance Flick.” Katerina Graham plays Maria Ramirez, a troubled youth who gets hooked up with a new dance crew. She’s facing some interpersonal drama, but she finds dancing is a good outlet for her, and it’s up to the whole crew to defeat the reigning champions and win a chance to be famous.
Yeah, it’s pretty much every other dance movie ever made. But oddly enough, it doesn’t quite have the charm or wit of the “Step Up” films. Katerina Graham is a beautiful girl, and she’s mighty easy on the eyes to watch dancing. It’s actually nice to see her get something more than her sideline role on “The Vampire Diaries.”
Unfortunately, the movie buckles under its own weight attempting to be hip, cool and badass. There’s a lot of yelling in the movie amongst the dancers, making it feel like the hip-hop version of John McGinley and Keanu Reeves in “Point Break.”
For dance fans, it’ll work. But for anyone else watching the movie, there are better films out there, and who’s going to watch this if they’re not a dance fan?
The Blu-ray comes packaged with a DVD and Digital Copy. There are also deleted scenes and complete dance sequences. There are several featurettes, including “Behind the Dance Crews: The Making of Honey 2,” “The Dream Continues” and “Dance, or Die Tryin’.” A commentary by director Bille Woodruff is also available. Additional features includes access to the pocketBLU app and BD-Live for extra content.