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Dickey possesses a bland breed of pluckiness, sort of Molly Ringwald lite (and Breakin' did indeed open the same weekend as Sixteen Candles, topping that teen landmark in the box office rankings.). At the very least, she survives no less than a dozen horrific outfits, all pulsating with Boogaloo ultra-glow shine. But she's appealing and likable and if you can track down Ninja III on VHS or online, check it out to compare "suitable for family audiences" Dickey with "hard R-rated" Dickey . Ninja III has nothing to do with the first two Ninja films and obviously nothing to do with the Breakin' films but I like to think it brings a weird kind of closure to both series. Imagine a mash-up hybrid of exploitation genres - almost along the lines of fan fiction - and you'll be in the ballpark.

I have come to the conclusion that Electric Boogaloo is indeed the ultimate example of a sequel that was made to cash in on the unexpected success of its progenitor and a perfect example of a sequel that was unanimously rejected by its audience. Breakin' came out in May of 1984 and was (believe it or not) the number one film in the country the weekend it opened, with a gross of just over $6 million and a final tally of $38 million. Breakin' 2 was in theaters a mere seven months later (the weekend before Christmas - admittedly not a smart time unless it was to be Breakin' 2: Electric Booga-ho-ho-ho), opened to less than half of its predecessor ($2.9 million and tenth place) and limped to only $15 million, or 40% of what the original did. Without the winter holidays to help pad the gross a little, it is probable it could have wound up even lower. The phenomenon of break dancing had reached its national commercial plateau and all the young 'uns were catching Beverly Hills Cop for the fourth or fifth time with their older brother or sister. End of franchise.

Nowadays, that second film might have gone straight to video (a la the Bring it On series) and been similarly ridiculed, but really Breakin 2 is no less generic or cliched than Breakin'. In fact, all the threadbare, creaky plot lines that aren't employed the first time around make an appearance in Boogaloo. On some level, it is a wonder to behold. Would it surprise you to discover that the two distinct sets of writers credited to each respective film have that and only that film on their C.V.?

To recap the first film: would-be serious dancer Kelly (Dickey) hooks up with "street dancers" Ozone (Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quinones) and Turbo (Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers). She teaches them some moves, they teach her some moves, they win the big show despite the interference of Kelly's snooty former instructor and get their own local production, all set to the beat of the mean streets of Venice, CA. The film stretches to the 86 minute mark with very slow credits and a recap of the action that is actually the film's trailer with an epilogue-ish rap delivered over it, rather than a come-see- this- movie rap.(These are also courtesy of Ice-T.)

Boogaloo uses a plotline that dates back to the hoary days of Andy Hardy and the Little Rascals: the youth center where Turbo, Ozone and Special K (yup, that's Kelly's street handle) volunteer is set to be a demolished by a greedy developer who wants to put up a shopping center. What can those crazy kids do? Why, put on a show to raise the $200,000 needed to repair the center. Where Boogaloo actually boggles the mind is in the new information about the characters it reveals. Wait! Kelly is actually a poor little rich girl whose parents want her to give up dancing and go to Stanford? Hold on! Kelly has a fiance/boyfriend that the father likes and she can't stand? Word! Ozone has a jealous ex-girlfriend who threatens Kelly with bodily harm? Def! Turbo attracts the attentions of a chica caliente who speaks no English? Almost all of these plot lines come to nothing in the final count (although if you're a betting type, you might want to wager that Kelly's parents have a change of heart and come through with a large chunk of money, no strings attached).

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