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Parents' Guide to

Honey

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Honey is just dumb, but teens love it.

Movie PG-13 2003 94 minutes
Honey Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

jackie65
jackie65 Adult
March 3, 2016
age 15+

'honey' alert


Acting by e.g. Lil Romeo was great, but producers really shoulda got somebody that grew up street dancing to play Honey (even if the real Honey did not) ~ no way did Elba teach the dancers to do e.g. the final dance sequence ("Believe"), and, to add injury to insult, we can't find those great dancers' names among 'full' cast lists on line, even tho there'd be no movie without them!
Examples of 'mixed messages' inc Missy Elliott preferring Elba as choreographer of non-sleezy dances even tho Elba's first few jobs were as dancer in 'sexy' videos. And, i guess, the charming Mekhi Phifer was wearing his bling to prove you don't need to be a gangster to look 'cool'...which as moral messages go is pretty lame.

dancingbrady
dancingbrady Adult
April 9, 2008
age 8+

Fun and Entertaining

This movie shows more than what people think. It shows the life of one girl trying to make it to the big top without anyone really helping her except with support. She takes charge of her life and tries to help those out on the streets become better people. In the end, she shows that kids are the ones who make the difference in the world.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Jessica Alba plays Honey, a sweet and sunny girl who teaches hip-hop to kids at the community center even though her mother tells her that she should be pursuing a career in ballet. Honey is spotted by a director of music videos (David Moscow) who makes her lead dancer and choreographer. She is just about to achieve her dream of putting her students into a video starring Ginuwine when it turns out that the video director is interested in more than her dance skills. She turns him down and he fires her. Even worse, he fires the kids and makes her tell them. Setting her sights on providing kids an alternative to thug life, Honey looks for ways to buy a building up for sale.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (7 ):

The movie is very short, less than 90 minutes; this is the good news. For those who think it's been too long since a movie like Breakin' 2: Electric Boolago, or even Lambada: The Forbidden Dance, there now is HONEY, the story of a spunky girl who dazzles hip-hop superstars with her dance moves but whose dream is helping the kids in her neighborhood. Alba has a lovely smile and Joy Bryant (Antwone Fisher) adds some verve to the sassy best friend role. Hip-hop fans will enjoy seeing favorite performers like Tweet, L'il Romeo, and Missy Elliott.

The bad news is that it is just dumb, way past cheesy-but-fun into the realm of From Justin to Kelly-level you-must-be-kidding. Its efforts to be hip make it as instantly out of date as if the characters used words like "groovy" and "out of sight." When Honey is under pressure to improve her choreography for one video, she gives the dancers a (presumably very expensive) break and goes for a pensive walk, where she draws inspiration from the moves of kids playing basketball and jumping rope. I'm not kidding. It wouldn't be so terrible that the plot, dialogue, and performances were so poor if the movie's reason for being -- the music and dance numbers -- had more energy and style. Worst of all, the movie fails to take advantage of the talents of performers like the glorious Lonette McKee (Jungle Fever) and Mekhi Phifer, who pretty much stand around looking embarrassed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Honey decided what was important to her and about the answer to the question, "How come you turned out so well?" They might also want to talk about what people a few years from now will think about the styles of dance and slang in this movie.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: December 5, 2003
  • On DVD or streaming: March 23, 2004
  • Cast: Jessica Alba , Lil' Romeo , Mekhi Phifer
  • Director: Bille Woodruff
  • Inclusion Information: Black directors, Latino actors, Black actors
  • Studio: Universal Pictures
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 94 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: drug content and some sexual references
  • Last updated: October 9, 2023

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