'You Got Served: Beat the World' is a 90 minute music video, plain and simple. If you want to watch a movie featuring a bunch of break dancers, some parkour, and terribly clichéd romantic scenes, then this is the movie you've been waiting for.
The original 'You Got Served' is a guilty pleasure of mine. At it's core it's as stupid as any other direct-to-video movie about team dancing, but it's got its moments. There are a few moves in the original that make me respect the people who thought them up and put them into a routine. The problem is, dancing doesn't make a movie. So, now you've got to add in a variety of characters, try to give them heart-tugging storylines, and hope to hell that the audience connects with them. If not, they may be clamoring for a dialogue mute button that extracts all of the voices and none of the hip-hop beats.
As you may have guessed from its ingenious title, the objective here is to actually beat the world. Well, dance teams from around the world. A team from Germany, called the Flying Stripes, is last year's champions. Going up against them is a team from Brazil, and the hometown team from Detroit.
The team from Brazil is dealing with its own problems. The team's leader is a chronic gambler, and there's a chance he may gamble away the funds that the team needs to get to the competition. Germany's crew is led by an arrogant young man who says things to his girlfriend like "You'll be back. You always come back." Finally, there's the team from Detroit and its leader Yuson (Tyrone Brown), who like really wants to win this competition, badly.
Yuson is tired of being treated like he doesn't exist. Sure he's got a nice, beautiful girlfriend, his own crew of friends, and some pretty snazzy dance moves, but he wants to be making music videos for Jay-Z. If you hadn't guessed already Yuson is going to have some troubles with his girl. The same old types of problems you see arise in other movies of this ilk. Like when his girl sees another girl exiting his apartment and automatically assumes he had sex with her. You know, the kinds of misunderstandings that only happen in movies.
But, dancing is what these kids came to do and they do it well. They flip, slide, and jive to the music for most of the movie. If it isn't dance sequences during the competition then it's dance sequences during practice montages. That's all this movie is, and you know what you're getting into if you decide on purchasing it. The "plot" is a hindrance, but needs to be there so they can call it a movie.
The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats
Sony has brought 'You Got Served: Beat the World' to Blu-ray on a 50GB disc. It's packed in a normal Blu-ray case and is noted as being region A specific.
Sony has consistently produced great looking Blu-ray presentations, and this one is no different. The 1080p AVC-encoded transfer looks, in a word, stunning.
Colors are bright, vibrant, and lively. Skintones are natural. Cityscapes look damn near magnificent as Yuson and his British buddy jump from rooftop to rooftop pulling off some neato parkour moves. Fine detail is at maximum output here. Textures, from shiny veneered jackets, to fuzzy hoodies, clothes look immaculate. Blacks are deep and satisfying. Shadows are stark, but never crushing. There's a scene where a dancer is silhouetted against some windows overlooking the city. Her silhouette is perfectly defined, and adds much needed depth to the image.
When lights swing and flash on stage there isn't an ounce of blocking to be seen. As a matter of fact I didn't notice any digital anomalies that would distract from one's viewing.
As you may have guess the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track pumps out a lot of bass-laden hip-hop music. This it does with authority. Most of the time you feel like you're listening to a hip-hop concert. The soundtrack is piped through the rear channels, creating an encompassing experience. When the bass hits, the sub rumbles and shakes with low-end ferocity.
Dialogue is clear, and even with all the commotion, is perfectly intelligible. Panning effects are smooth. If you thought that you'd be inundated with music the whole time, then I'm happy to announce that this mix isn't without its nuanced touches. There are everyday sounds like birds chirping in the background or people milling about in busy Brazilian places. Yes, the movie is mostly blasting forth music that will shake the pictures on your wall, but it has its mellow times too. This audio rivals the quality of the video presentation.
If you're into dancing this is your movie. Otherwise, this flick is a waste of time. It's for dance fans and that's it. Although, if you are a dance fan and you wind up picking this up, then you're in for a great aural and visual feast. We've come to expect these kinds of HD presentations from Sony, but I wouldn't have been surprised if they had skimped on a direct-to-video movie like this. They didn't, though, and now you can enjoy the eye and ear candy if you decide this title is for you.
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