Go For It!
When it comes to dance battles and hip-hop culture in general, I will be the first to plead ignorance, yet I was lucky enough to watch a movie like "Go For It!" — which is essentially a diluted version of "You Got Served."
Despite never having seen a "dance" movie before in my life, I felt as if I was already privy to pretty much the entire story arc before the movie even began. This type of movie has been scrutinized in pop culture for so long now that you can't help but know the ins and outs. It's your classic underdog story interspersed with loads of unnecessary dance troupe competitions. The lead girl, Carmen Salgado, is passionate about dancing but struggles to find a balance in her life between what she loves doing and what she can feasibly do long-term. She ultimately figures out that the two things are not mutually exclusive, although I found it really odd that her passion in life being dance and all was never really explored in any sort of depth.
Carmen's love for all things hip-hop is shadowed only by her crazy boy lust and dysfunctional home life, but that's a pretty overpowering shadow, I must say. The overall message trying to be conveyed by the film is corny and rather shallow (e.g., believe in yourself, follow your dreams, stay passionate, etc ...). There's definitely a place for heartfelt/positive messages in film, but it's much appreciated if said messages were followed up with a little bit of uniqueness. There's absolutely no individuality behind "Go For It!," just the same tired cliches that have been driven home in similar countless films over the past decade or so.
There are better places to start if you are at all intrigued in heartfelt dance dramas. "Go For It!" is assuredly a product of pop culture, which is to say it pretty much wouldn't exist if it weren't for this bizarre dance craze going on in Hollywood. Moreover, the film's indie charm is all but meaningless given the fact that it's basically a major studio project. If there were one shining beacon of hope to be taken away from the film, it would be its potential as a family film. Its inspiring message of following one's dreams is something with which a younger audience can identify.
As far as the DVD itself, don't expect much in terms of extras. There's a commentary featuring writer/director Carmen Marron, but that's it. I wouldn't even recommend Redbox for this one. Just take solace in the fact that I had to suffer through it for you.
Film: 2 Yaps Extras: 1 Yap