I approached “Big Boys Don’t Dance” with trepidation. The piece follows two brothers who, after a crazy stag night goes array, need to obtain a great amount of money in a short amount of time. They realise that entering a dance competition is the only way to do so.
In a strictly critical sense, there are one hundred things wrong with “Big Boys Don’t Dance”. The narrative is wafer thin and more than reliant on “The Hangover” and similar screen comedies of this vein. Its humour is also lifted from a number of similar sources; anyone who has ever witnessed a male stand-up comic do a piece on weddings will see many of these ‘shrewd observations’ coming a mile off.
The dance sequences, however impressive, are almost always knowingly inspired by 'Dirty Dancing' or shamelessly derived from (Beyoncé’s 2011 Billboard Awards performance) other sources. That these pieces continually take a back seat to the repetitive and uninspired comedy dialogue places any original dance work as a rare treat. An amusing sketch parodying the “Dance Dance Revolution” video game is such an example of what should have been more evident throughout.
Despite these flaws, there is something oddly endearing about “Big Boys Don’t Dance”. Through its contrived humour and predictable storyline, the piece manages to create two incredibly charming and sympathetic protagonists. Although its articulation errs on the side of dubious, the relationship between these two characters is undoubtedly realistic and warm. This allows and audience to laugh at the verbose gags and blindly kowtow to the unsophisticated narrative. The dance segments, however limited, hinder the monotony and act as refreshing punctuation to the half-baked plot, firmly positioning its two characters in the action.
To summarise, “Big Boys Don’t Dance” manages to engage the audience with its relatable protagonists through some impressive dance pieces. Despite an unimaginative story and an uninspired sense of humour, the piece proves endearing even to those most sceptical of street dance. However, those expecting anything original will be somewhat disappointed.
