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Parents' Guide to

How She Move

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Urban dance drama is formulaic yet entertaining.

Movie PG-13 2008 98 minutes
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HOW SHE MOVE is agreeable but predictable. Wesley and co-star Dwain Murphy (who plays Raya's step/love interest Bishop) make an admirable effort to rise above the formulaic script, which throws in a resistant friend/classmate for Raya (the able Tre Armstrong), the shady but two-dimensional villain who stoked Raya's sister's drug habit and happens to head a rival step crew (Clé Bennett), and a monumental grudge match. We've seen these characters and plot points before in such fare as Stomp the Yard and Save the Last Dance, and they're none the fresher here.

Nevertheless, what makes a dance movie satisfying is the ability to capture the jubilation of dance itself -- and that How She Move does. Every time steppers take the stage, the audience is transported to a world where nothing but rhythm, movement, and beat matter. There are no major stars in the film, but the cast members more than rise to the occasion. And boy, can they dance.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: January 25, 2008
  • On DVD or streaming: April 28, 2008
  • Cast: Dwain Murphy , Rutina Wesley , Tre Armstrong
  • Director: Ian Iqbal Rashid
  • Inclusion Information: Black actors, Female actors
  • Studio: MTV Films
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 98 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: some drug content, suggestive material and language.
  • Last updated: June 1, 2023

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