Documentary Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)


Breakin' 'n' Enterin' (1983)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 1/25

BreakEnter
1/25: The purpose of a documentary film is to document something of the period so people can look back to it in the future, and that's been the case with Breakin' 'n' Enterin'.

It became interesting enough for Cannon, at the insistence of producer Menahem Golan, to be turned into a feature length film called Breakin'. Many dancers, most notably Adolfo Quiñones and Michael Chambers, went on to be part of the cast, and it was a smash hit, being the final financially successful film in Cannon history before the studio declared bankruptcy.

The most famous person to come out of the documentary is Tracy Marrow who's better known as Ice-T. Believe it or not, he served in the U.S. Army during the 70's which started his interest in hip hop music, having become proficient in turntabling and rapping. After he was honorably discharged, he set his sights on becoming a DJ while committing crimes on the side.

After seeing his friends be arrested and sent to prison, Ice-T decided to give up the criminal life and went straight by becoming a full-time rapper. That's how he was a major part of the West Coast breakdancing scene which led to the two aforementioned films. But Ice-T wasn't nationally known until 1991 when he released the most controversial album of his career: Body Count, most specifically the song "Cop Killer."

Back to Breakin' 'n' Enterin', it's quite interesting. A good documentary should explain the origins of something and how it came to be, and this one has accomplished this task. The rest is filled with tons of breakdancing in terms of popping, locking, and boogaloo (robotic) style by various people, regardless of their color, age, and gender. Not many people know this, but Michael Chambers is the one who taught Michael Jackson some moves including the moonwalk. Currently, breakdancing is featured in the Olympics, which is the first dancesport discipline ever to do so, making its debut in 2024.

All in all, if you loved Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, you must see the documentary to find out where it all started: Breakin' 'n' Enterin'.