Film Review – Bodied

Enjoying a lively career as a music video director, Joseph Kahn hasn’t made many features during his time behind the camera. His last effort was 2011’s little-seen “Detention,” while his debut was 2004’s “Torque,” a grotesque actioner that would normally end industry advancement, but Kahn survived, creating epic visuals for pop music, honing his craft. He returns to screens with “Bodied,” smartly going low-key for this study of battle rap, which saves most of its firepower for verbal jousting and satire, delivering an energetic but overlong assessment of P.C. culture as it collides with the traditions of rap and rhyme. Kahn mutes his instincts for this endeavor, and he ends up with his best film to date, keeping “Bodied” silly but smart, understanding that character is best served by restraint, showing impressive discipline with occasional bouts of feral energy.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com