Battle of the Year (2013)

It’s undeniable that the good-natured “Afterschool Special” vibe here plays to the film’s corny strengths, and the dancing is impressive. So much so that it’s almost impossible not to cheer during the final round.

The singer and tabloid darling Chris Brown more than holds his own with this crew, apparently not even needing a dance double.

An enjoyable movie not because of any special gifts by the filmmakers or emotional resonance in the script. It was more like destiny. Once someone jotted down the concept on a cocktail napkin and hired B-Boys who could actually dance, the movie pretty much had to turn out OK.

Remarkably, the highlight of Benson Lee's film, essentially a fiction reboot of his Planet B-Boy, isn't the scene where Chris Brown gets punched in the face.

What saves “Battle” from complete irrelevancy is the undisputable fact that a scrappy underdog formula tends to work no matter what time period or sport.