After a run-in with local thugs, aspiring Harlem rapper Rob flees to a place and father he never knew, and finds his salvation in Reggaeton, a spicy blend of hip-hop, reggae and Latin beats. Puerto Rico, the spiritual home of Reggaeton, inspires Rob and his step-brother Javi to pursue their dream of becoming Reggaeton stars. Together with a dancer named C.C., they learn what it means to stay true to themselves and each other, while overcoming obstacles in love, greed and pride, all culminating in an explosive performance at New York’s Puerto Rican Day Parade.
It's the subtexts -- about minority kinship and Hispanic self-actualization -- that resound. If only its fable (and leading man) didn't keep getting in the way.
– Andy Webster,
New York Times,
8 Oct 2007
rotten:
Could have used more music.
– Ty Burr,
Boston Globe,
8 Oct 2007
fresh:
No one will mistake director Alejandro Chomski's Feel the Noise for great drama. But there's an undeniable sweetness to the characters, the performers are highly appealing, and the music sizzles.
– Frank Scheck,
Hollywood Reporter,
8 Oct 2007
rotten:
First-time screenwriter Albert Leon appears to have turned for music industry insight not to his famous producer (who has no excuses) but to other music-themed movies (Mariah Carey's Glitter, perhaps?).
– Chuck Wilson,
L.A. Weekly,
8 Oct 2007
rotten:
Reggaeton has officially come of age: The burgeoning subgenre now has a terrible, opportunistic exploitation movie to call its own.