A Cinderella story from the mean streets of Kingston, Jamaica, the alternately comic and gritty Dancehall Queen is an intriguingly dark crowd pleaser. Marcia (Audrey Reid) is a single mom and street vendor barely scraping by even with a financial assist from the seemingly avuncular Larry (Carl Davis), a gun-toting strongman with a twisted desire for Marcia's teenage daughter. Complicating things is Priest (Paul Campbell), a murderous hood who killed Marcia's friend and now is terrorizing the defenseless woman. Facing three big problems--Larry, Priest, and a lack of money---Marcia arrives at an inspired solution: develop an alter ego, a dancing celebrity called the Mystery Lady who can compete in a cash-prize contest and pit both of the men against one another. Which is exactly what she does, and it's great fun watching Marcia instigate her complicated plan with a little help from sympathetic friends. Colorful, rowdy, funny, and dangerous, Dancehall Queen is a clever and ceaselessy energetic movie steeped in Kingston street life and the desire to keep body and soul together at home. Reid is a delight as the everyday figure who transforms into an icon in the evenings, and the dance scenes are amazingly bawdy. --Tom Keogh

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When a seemingly unrelated incident sets off a tragic chain of events that leaves her good friend Sonny dead and her brother Junior scared for his life, Marcia realizes that she must take matters into her own hands.

Set in the fascinating world of the Kingston dancehall scene (with a side trip into the go-go racket), the movie is truly a girl-power fairytale with a West Indian edge.

Remember, walk an' live. Talk an' bumbaclot dead!

Note: If you are not fluent in Jamaican patois, watch this movie with a friend from the islands. Or watch it over and over, until you get it. It is worth it.

13 of 13 found the following review helpful:

It's a dancehall ting!!!!Jul 14, 2005

Wow, dancehall Queen is not just one of the best jamaican films i ever saw, but one the best ever. I am a Jamaican, so i could relate to the things in this movie. The acting was great and so was the music. It is about a strong Jamaican woman, who tries to make ends meet by becoming a dancer. She is also very loud,she's doesn't let any man disrespects her and if you "Come too close you might get burn". There is a lot of obstacles in her way to overcome. I ain't saying no more, bottom line this is a really good dancehall film. "She's a dancehall queen for life,got her explode like dynamite"!!!!!

9 of 10 found the following review helpful:

Jamaican Street Vendor Makes GoodJun 05, 2000
By whatevery
Marcia has problems. She's barely surviving as a Kingston higgler, her 15 year old daughter, Tanya, is fending off avances from lecherous, 40-something year old "Uncle Larry," and she hasn't had a good man in a long, long time.

When a seemingly unrelated incident sets off a tragic chain of events that leaves her good friend Sonny dead and her brother Junior scared for his life, Marcia realizes that she must take matters into her own hands.

Set in the fascinating world of the Kingston ancehall scene (with a side trip into the go-go racket), the movie is truly a girl-power fairytale with a West Indian edge.

Note: If you are not fluent in Jamaican patois, watch this movie with a friend from the islands. Or watch it over and over, until you get it. It is worth it.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

It's a Dancehall Thing!Jul 11, 2002

My husband and I have watched this movie at least 20 times. My husband liked it so much that he can even recite some parts of it. The characters are interesting, the dancing and music is great, and the story-line kept our attention.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Real good movieApr 02, 2006
By thesavvybamalady "swblkdiamond"
I came across this movie through one of my book clubs that I am into; I bought the movie and was hooked; what I liked so much about it was that this woman who probably some would think is "over the hill" with a teenage daughter to boot, decides to go out for the title of Dance Hall Queen against this younger model who thought she couldn't get whipped at her own game; but as time go on, and sistergirl gets popular, she realizes that she had an adversary far more stronger than her and tries to let out about her occupation as a street vendor; she gets a dope dealer to back her customes; another who wanted her turf, but all is well that ends well in the end; very good movie. another good story in female empowerment;

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