29
Metascore
21 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 60New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsIt’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.
- 50McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreMcClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreThe singer and tabloid darling Chris Brown more than holds his own with this crew, apparently not even needing a dance double.
- 50San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubSan Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubAn 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.
- 38Slant MagazineEd GonzalezSlant MagazineEd GonzalezRemarkably, 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.
- 37Washington PostWashington PostWhat saves “Battle” from complete irrelevancy is the undisputable fact that a scrappy underdog formula tends to work no matter what time period or sport.
- 30VarietyAndrew BarkerVarietyAndrew BarkerSo fatally frontloaded with endless training montages, awfully written, indifferently acted drama, sports-film platitudes and jaw-dropping product placements that only the hardiest of viewers will make it through to the payoff.
- 20Time OutTime OutBastardizing his own 2007 doc, "Planet B-Boy," Benson Lee throws street cred to the breeze with this unspeakably rote Hollywood mockery of its deft nonfiction predecessor, with clueless bigotry as shrill as the squeak of new kicks on a stage floor.
- 20Los Angeles TimesAnnlee EllingsonLos Angeles TimesAnnlee EllingsonThis 3-D spectacle is less the dance movie that's going to make b-boying cool again than a shill for sponsors' gear.
- 10The New York TimesMiriam BaleThe New York TimesMiriam BaleThe miracle of the new 3-D dance film Battle of the Year is how it can be so relentlessly boring while there is so much frenetic activity on screen.
- 0The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyToo incompetent to work as an underdog dance flick, but not nearly weird enough to qualify as howling camp, Battle Of The Year is destined to please only bad movie buffs desperate for a fix of awful dialogue, blatant product placement, and clunky exposition.