Dirty Dancing 2

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details about Dirty Dancing 2's classification and consumer advice lines
• a review of Dirty Dancing 2 completed by Young Media Australia (YMA) on 18 May 2004.

Overall comments and recommendations

Dirty Dancing 2 —Havana Nights shows Latin dancing at its most seductive and sensual. It is the dance of the slaves, ‘the only time to be free’ and the dancers certainly know how to let loose. While dance lovers will enjoy this movie, there is enough of a story to hold the interest of others, although the acting isn’t brilliant.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the associated consumer advice lines.

YMA review

This review of the movie Dirty Dancing 2 contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• use of violence
• material that may scare children
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie's message

A synopsis of the story

Set in Havana, Cuba, just before the revolution and based on true events, Dirty Dancing 2 tells the story of Katie Miller, who moves to Havana with her family. The Miller family move among the circle of well to do Americans who play tennis and go to country club dances. Katie’s a smart girl at school and plans to go to college, but one day while walking home from school she comes across a group of Cubans dancing and obviously enjoying themselves. Katie is enthralled by the dancers, in particular a young Cuban man, Javier Suarez, who works as a waiter at their hotel. The dancers are broken up by an aggressive group of Batista soldiers, but the experience is a life changing one for Katie. She starts going to the Rosa Negra, a Cuban nightclub where she dances with Javier.

Katie is a good dancer as she has learnt from her parents who were accomplished ballroom dancers. Latin dancing is entirely different however and Katie has lots to learn. She’s encouraged to enter the Latin dancing competition which has a prize money of $5000. Javier’s family is very poor, as are most Cubans who live in stark contrast to the rich North Americans. Also Javier’s father was killed by the Batista and Javier has to support his mother and family. Katie therefore persuades Javier to dance with her in the competition. While Katie is dancing with Javier, her parents believe she has formed a relationship with Miller’s boss’s son James and so are shocked to discover she’s actually with a Cuban boy. Javier and Katie make it to the finals in the competition but the night has an unexpected outcome.

Use of violence

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie:

• The Batista are seen breaking up the crowd of Cuban dancers, wielding batons and arresting the civilians.
• James tries to kiss Katie and won’t take no for an answer; he persists until Katie slaps him.
• Katie’s mother slaps Katie across the face for embarrassing the family.
• Javier’s brother starts firing a gun into the crowd.
• Javier attacks a policeman who is about to shoot his brother
• Javier fights with his brother.

Material that may scare children

Under eight

Children under eight are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations, the death of a parent or child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

The above mentioned scenes could frighten children in this age group.

Aged eight to thirteen

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened

The violence in this movie is realistic and therefore could still scare children in this age group. However it is quite fleeting and not too graphic.

Over the age of thirteen

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

Children in this age group would probably not be scared by the violence in this movie.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references.

Nudity and sexual activity

There is no nudity, but many revealing costumes, particularly by the dancers. The Latin dancing is very provocative, women reveal a lot of cleavage and the men touch their bodies all over – their breasts, bottoms, legs, etc.

Katie and Javier have sex, although nothing is actually shown.

Use of substances

There is drinking and smoking in the night clubs and the country club. Girls at school are shown smoking too.

Coarse language

There is some coarse language in this movie including the following:

• several uses of ‘God’ and ‘oh my God’

occasional use of:

• bastards
• arses

The movie's message

This movie is mainly about dancing; however, there are some side issues included in the movie such as the struggle of the poor against corrupt regimes, racial prejudice and the wide gap between the rich and poor.

Values parents may wish to encourage include:

• tolerance
• empathy
• social equality.

Values parents may wish to discourage include:

• arrogance
• violence as a way to overcome situations.