Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo

Breakin' was one of the last productions Cannon Films released via their MGM/UA distribution deal. Golan & Globus planned to release John Derek's smutty film Bolero, and the potential X-rating of that picture violated their MGM deal. So the dynamic duo reverted Cannon Films back to distributing its own content like it originally had before they took it over. One of their first projects (and they always had multiple projects in the works at any given time) was a sequel to the highly profitable Breakin'. Electric Boogaloo was personally produced by Golan & Globus and directed by Sam Firstenberg (with whom they had made several Ninja movies). The picture doubles down on just about everything from the first movie—way more dancing, way more colorful costumes, way higher stakes, and way higher camp value. It also feels more like a proper, old-school musical, following the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland formula of putting on a show to save a beloved something from the chopping block or a sale or other type of loss.

In this case, Turbo, Ozone, and Kelly, aka "Special K," must rally their neighborhood to band together to save a community center from a greedy developer who wants to turn it into a mall. The film lifts entire concepts from old movies, like Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers dancing up the walls and onto the ceiling the way Fred Astaire did in Royal Wedding. While it wasn't nearly as financially successful as the first film, this is a rare sequel that's loved more than the original. Even Rodger Ebert, who panned the first Breakin', gave this one 3 out of 4 stars. While I'm not of the same mind that this picture stands head and shoulders above its predecessor, I do think the exuberance factor counts for a lot. I also love how the PG-rated romantic dramas and gang rivalries play out (or don't play out). And Costume Designer Dorothy Baca hits it out of the park!