The heroes of Breakin' are all back: WASPy ballerina-turned-break-dancer Lucinda Dickey, neighborhood youth leader Adolpho "Shabba-Doo" Quiñones and his amiably mischievous sidekick Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers. When last seen they had foiled some stuffed-shirt producers and break danced into legitimate theater. They had also earned the empathy of a big enough audience to warrant a sequel. Once more the villains are evil, three-piece-suited, establishment types, who are out to turn the local community center into a shopping mall. This film takes time to get in gear, it provides little intelligent dialogue, and there's no reason to like the characters at first. But for those who slog through the opening 30 minutes or so, the movie ultimately is fun. Quiñones and Chambers are still likable, especially in a scene in which Shabba-Doo tries to teach Shrimp the fine art of approaching women. Director Sam (Revenge of the Ninja) Firstenberg nicely balances dancing and comedy, and in a fantasy sequence colorfully updates Fred Astaire's dance-on-the-walls scene from Royal Wedding for Chambers. There's a good sound track by several artists, a happy ending, a simple message about brotherhood and a glowing finale. This is one of those films that almost forces you to leave the theater feeling good, and more power to it. (PG)
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