Amazon.co.uk Review
Jessica Alba swivels and pops her way to the top (or at least into Missy Elliot's heart) in hip-hop dance flick
Honey. Honey Daniels (Alba,
Dark Angel) dances in nightclubs; when she accidentally gets videotaped, a hip-hop video director spots her unique talent and hires her first as a dancer, then as a choreographer. But when he wants her body as much as her talent, how will she sustain her career? And how will this affect her dream of creating a dance studio for the local street kids? Honey is the usual Hollywood silliness, executed with sincerity but not much imagination. For some reason, Alba's sexy gyrations are supposed to be more empowering than other dancers' sexy gyrations, while being no less titillating. Featuring
Mekhi Phifer,
David Moscow, and cameos by hip-hop stars like
Missy Elliot and
Ginuwine. --
Bret Fetzer
Synopsis
With a plethora of flashy cameos by artists Missy Elliot, Tweet, Ginuwine, Jadakiss, and Sheek,
Honey feels like an extended hip-hop video with an inspiring, socially conscious message about ambition and the bittersweet taste of success. New York City dancer-choreographer Honey Daniels (Jessica Alba, of TV's
Dark AngelL) hopes her talent will soon be recognized, but for now she's working three odd jobs: in a record store, as dance teacher at the local youth centre, and bartender in a Manhattan dance club. Hot director of music videos Michael Ellis (David Moscow,
Just Married, Big) spots an amateur video of Honey cutting a rug after work, and gives her a shot at the big time when he asks her to choreograph videos for Ginuwine and Tweet. Just as the big bucks start rolling in, Honey gets a nasty dose of reality when she rebuffs the director's sexual advances and is blackballed by the industry. Honey throws herself back into her community work with a vengeance and helps two of her most talented students Benny (Lil' Romeo) and Raymond (Zachary Isaiah Williams) stay out of the hands of local drug dealers.
Honey is a 21st-century version of
Flashdance or
Fame--an infinitely entertaining urban dance movie that gets viewers' feet tapping with high-energy choreography and strings of catchy, cutting-edge tunes.