[Warning: Spoiler Alert]
Last September 1, Chinese superstar Wang Yibo’s dance movie “One and Only” premiered in the Philippines.
The press, KOLs, select guests, and Wang Yibo’s Philippines’ fanclubs (0805×1005 Events and MTJJ Philippines) were invited to grace the premiere night. A little program was also held before the start of the movie, with one local dance troupe showcasing their talents.
“One and Only” tells the story of Chen Shuo (Wang Yibo), who, despite struggling in life, continues to practice dancing relentlessly in his free time, hoping one day he can join a crew and compete in street dance competitions. It happens that Ding Lei, a veteran street dancer and now E-mark’s coach, needs a stand-in for Kevin to create group synergy and rapport, and so, he invited Chen Shuo to be one. This marks the beginning of the protagonist’s career in street dancing, but with some bumps in the road, of course.
In the film, Chen Shuo, the protagonist, lives a hard life —doing two jobs to pay off the debt from his late father’s hospital bills. He did car wash at night and took odd gigs at day time to make ends meet. During his free time, he practices dancing, which is his passion.
Throughout the film, his life is fleshed out for him already–he tries to get his family going but at the same time he tries to find ways to realize his dreams.
Chen Shuo’s dream is to dance professionally and to compete. It’s evident at the beginning of the film how much he loves dancing. One example is when he hurries to go to watch the street dance competition, wherein dance group E-mark is competing. Another scenario is him practicing bboy headspins inside the train.
The relationship between Chen Shuo and his coach Ding Lei is heart tugging and is the heart of the film. Their scenes together bring joy and inspiration to the viewers, but also tears in the latter part of the film.
Many times it is shown that Ding Lei appreciates Chen Shuo’s passion in dancing and working hard to improve, even though at times he scolds him for overusing his body. Ding Lei even tells him that whenever he gets nervous about dancing on stage, he should just touch the ground and feel it.
Watching this film feels immersive, at best: All of Chen Shuo and his crew’s achievements make one want to cheer for them, and celebrate with them.
There is one scene where the music got cut off but Chen Shuo continues dancing, and the whole crew helps him make a beat so they can continue dancing. It felt like the cinema audience became part of the crowd cheering for them.
Towards the end of the film, Chen Shuo incorporates each of his dance crew members’ specialties in his dance break battle with Kevin (the former star dancer of E-mark) and ends his dance with a killer move his coach had passed down to him. This scene is an exhilarating one that’s sure to get people to hold their breaths in anticipation.
The whole final battle segment is reminiscent of the thrill brought by the final fight in Jaden Smith’s “The Karate Kid.”
“One and Only” also touches on other relatable scenarios, such as forgoing passion for comfort.
Even for non-fans, this movie proves to be an interesting watch, as viewers can understand street dancing and the life that goes around street dancers.
Overall, the movie is a good, relatable viewing experience. It is wholesome in nature, and can be highly recommended for families to watch.
“One and Only” is presented by Viewers Choice Philippines and SM Cinema.