Review of Wildstyle With Wil Power

Introduction

This is one of those genuine "niche-market" titles that makes you wonder how the distributor can hope to make anything more than a huge loss on it. Wildstyle With Wil*Power is a basic 101 primer for wannabe breakdancers. Packaged as an exercise video, there is a warning for the old, the infirm and the pregnant that they might want to consult a doctor before attempting anything shown in the programme. Hosted by Wil* Power himself, who according to the blurb has danced for and choreographed for Fatboy Slim, Run DMC and Janet Jackson, the disc takes you through the various moves required.

Video

This is a crisp transfer from digital video to non-anamorphic 14:9 widescreen. The picture is very sharp and well-contrasted, setting it apart from the quality of much of this area of the video/DVD market. It is shot in a style to match the content, which means titling that looks like graffiti and eye-catching video effects such as the use of a fish-eye lens on much of the location filming.

Audio

This is nothing to get excited about, unless you are a hip-hop fan.

Features

There is a short supplementary piece on freestylin` (sic) and a biography of Wil*Power himself.

Conclusion

The packaging of this programme is embarrassingly contrived. The blurb on the back cover is 100% advertising-hack-trying-to-sound-cool, and can only alienate the Ali G clones who are expected to buy the disk. Then again maybe it`ll attract them. Who knows?