Welcome to Touched by a Bootylicious Angel. That pretty much sums up this utterly ludicrous yet good-hearted and squeaky-clean hip-hop fantasy. Jessica Alba is the titular Honey, a dancer and music-video choreographer caught between the ruthless demands of show business and her commitment to her Bronx neighborhood. Everyone, including the aimless local-community-center kid (Lil' Romeo), her barber boyfriend (Mekhi Phifer) and scantily clad best friend (Joy Bryant) need her.
And when her dream of opening a dance studio for the kids is threatened, everyone needs her all at once. Good thing she's there to help organize a benefit, choreograph the show and make sure Missy Elliott shows up. There's a ton of dancing, a raft of cameos from hip-hop artists and a daring amount of sweetness for a movie so street conscious. It's just enough to form a nice sugary coat over any cranky complaints about its silliness. Sweet.