'Mad Hot' luke warm at best

Have you ever found yourself flipping through channels late at night and settling for reruns of "Kids Say the Darndest Things?" Do you then laugh hysterically at the kids on screen? If so, then "Mad Hot Ballroom" is the movie for you. However, just laughing at the kids' random comments may cause you to miss the point of the film.\n"Mad Hot Ballroom" is a documentary about a group of underprivileged New York City fifth graders who compete in an annual ballroom dancing competition. The mandatory program is used to keep children safe and off the streets.\nThe film is also a study of adolescent behavior. At first the girls and boys are too shy to dance with each other. They avoid making eye contact and have to bite their lips to keep from laughing. And of course, nobody wants to dance with the fat kid (damn, kids can be mean). It is amusing to watch the children interact with each other and see how involved and committed they become. Though, it's hard to believe there isn't at least one boy who doesn't want to ballroom dance. \nWhile "Mad Hot Ballroom" is interesting, there's not a lot in the film that actually tells the story. Director Marilyn Agrelo relies too much on footage from dance practices. The film resorts to using voice-overs from teachers to tell how the children's behaviors have improved since getting involved with the program. We aren't given much insight into the lives of the children who participate. There is minimal footage of life outside of school. It would have been very helpful to see the home lives of these children. Even more interviews from the children would help to get to know them better. Granted, "Mad Hot Ballroom" is a documentary, so it may not have been possible to film these aspects. However the lack of variety of footage becomes monotonous.\nThe competition's finale greatly picks up the films often slow pace. It's very entertaining to watch these kids tango, meringue, rumba and salsa. At first their moves are awkward, but by the finals their ability is damn impressive. You'll get just as excited and anxious watching the dance finals as you would from watching any sporting event. \nUnfortunately the DVD contains no special features. What the hell? Where's the instructional dance video? I want to learn how to meringue too!