Review of Flashdance (1983) by Matt R — 03 Aug 2010

Way too much singing & dancing and way too little plot development makes this highly stylized movie little more than a long advertisement for the soundtrack. What little "action" served up outside of the dance numbers seems to ham-handedly drive home with a sledgehammer the idea that, yes, indeed, we are watching a REGULAR, AVERAGE, RUN-OF-THE-MILL GIRL with HOPES AND DREAMS.

She is definitely WORKING-CLASS: see her weld, and ride her bike all around the grey, rainy, industrialized city? See the poor little princess living like a pauper in her warehouse-turned-apartment? When will her little prince charming come along? It's almost like what a Disney movie would look like if they decided to show a bit of skin and have the actors / actresses curse a bit - it's lost a fair amount of its innocence, but none of its cheese.