One and Only

So I've seen a lot of drance movies over the years and the dancing is usually fun to watch but the acting and story end up being kind of cringey. This movie broke that stereotype for me. The movie centers around a boy by the name of Chen Shuo, played by Wang Yibo, whose passion for dancing and chasing after his dreams is both touching and inspiring. In a way, this movie also reflects the young actor Wang Yibo's own journey chasing after his dream of becoming a dancer and performer at a young age. The dance scenes were so exciting to watch! But I also felt myself tearing up during some of the more emotional scenes.

It is a fabulous movie. I came out of Cineworld in Dublin tonight with a big smile on my face and feeling more energised than I have in years. There are 3 main dance battles but the final one is out of this world. The story zips along throughout, is very easy to follow with subtitling and there are plenty of laughs along the way. Huang Bo is brilliant and Yibo is excellent as the humble Chen Shuo but so handsome! The camera work could be steadier for some of the dancing but was fine for the most important parts and the whole thing was just so well put together, it lit up the evening. Great work, and it was nice to recognise Street Dance China faces too!!

"Ding Lei" (Bo Huang) is a veteran boss of the E-Mark street dancing team. His renowned lead dancer "Kevin" (Casper Chu) is a bit of a prima-donna and so when he alights on "Chen Shuo" (Wang Yibo) who is an hard working family lad to come along and help at the practice sessions then divisions soon appear and the battle lines are drawn for the ultimate in dancing challenges at the national championships. The story here is not great - nor, indeed as is the acting nor the writing. What is captivating, though, is the gravity-defying acrobatics as these guys spin, pivot and fly through the air with astonishing skill and dexterity. It's also illustrative of just how this art serves as an aspirational conduit for young men who have little by way of opportunity to escape from the mundanity of their day-to-day lives. Personally, I find Yibo Wang just bit too weedy as an actor - he's actually always a bit of a drip - but essentially this is a triumph for the choreographers art and the adroitness and spontaneity of the dancers that really delivers excitingly for the last twenty minutes.

I watched this movie when I was in Beijing a week ago.

In the fast-paced world we live in, each of us can sometimes become restless, and even a minor setback can lead to complaints about life's unfairness. We complain about not being born into a wealthy or influential family, and lament starting off at a disadvantage.

However, brave individuals always explore the world first. Hopefully, each of us can be as courageous as Chen Shuo in the movie, bravely being ourselves and pursuing our dreams. As the film says, if we never hit rock bottom, how can we bounce back? Indeed, one can avoid death if they don't live, and there's no loss if one doesn't try. If we manage to avoid extreme happiness, we might also escape the onslaught of sorrow. Living fervently and sincerely is the greatest form of self-respect.

Similarly, in this movie, every role, no matter how small, lives with diligence, positivity, and fervor. Especially when Chen Shuo's mother tells him that "no" can also mean "yes." Because mothers only wish for us to live healthily and happily. Although our own mothers might not have spoken those exact words to us, as we grow older, hearing them becomes a way of healing and compensating ourselves.

As we left the movie theater, my friends and I all agreed that "One and Only" is suitable for all ages. It seems to ignite and explode the passion and desires hidden deep within each of us, as well as our dreams and hopes, in whatever way possible.

I had some doubts initially despite recommendations from friends, thinking it might be good, but I never expected it to exceed all my expectations. What possessed Yibo? The three his new films this year are all of high quality, seamlessly blending reality with enchantment. It's exhilarating; this is true passion, true youth.

Only And Only is a light comedy with breakdance as the theme.

Breakdancing is a new event in Asian Games this year and also the coming up Paris 2024 Olympics. Almost the whole Chinese national team and multiple famous world street dance champions are in the final competition in the last part of the movie. I think just the appearance of these professionals already worth a movie ticket.

The final competition at the end of the movie is definitely what audience talks about the most. At times, I did feel a bit dizzy by the moves of the dancers. To me, breaking does resemble gymnastics, but the moves are much faster. There are a lot of jaw-dropping moments during the final competition scenes and I could feel my body temperature rising. Theaters need to turn up the air conditioning for the audience LOL.