Hot Docs Roundup: Planet B-Boy

Planet B-Boy showcases the moves of the world's best breakdancing crews as they prepare for and compete in the Battle of the Year finals. Voted #2 favourite documentary by Hot Docs audience members, it's easy to understand why. If the performances were shown with no story framework, no context at all, they would still be enthralling. The film's success hangs on the dancing and director Benson Lee is fortunate to focus his lens on highly-skilled B-boys. As the film explains, world crews are know for particular skill sets (e.g. technical mastery in Korea, elegant dance style in France) but every crew shares common ground: amazing athleticism, a sense of creative expressionism and a devotion to dancing. The only major complaint to register is that the Battle of the Year shows weren't shown in their entirety (the intricacy and originality of the Japanese crew's routine demands full-length viewing). But wanting two additional hours of film is hardly a criticism.