Dancehall Queen is one of the best movies to come out of the Caribbean region that has become an underground classic; confirming that there are wonderful stories outside of the United States and Europe that are entertaining and have a universal appeal. Marcia is an ordinary street vendor who has ambitions and the hope to improve her life and that of her family. It is Cinderella with an island twist. The nondescript woman goes through her daily existence scraping out a living in the ghetto. She is presented with the chance to earn a considerable amount of money on her own. She must transform into one of the dancehall queens, the colorful extroverted entertainers whose sensual moves are the pulse of the dancehall reggae scene. It appears that the garish outfits and wigs enable Marcia to hide behind her insecurities and she transforms into a seductress. The film boasts a vicious character, Priest, that can rival any of the villains seen in the big budget Hollywood movies. The actor's portrayal of the rude boy is classic. The Jamaican dialect does not prevent you from enjoying a funny, entertaining film that that captures a slice of life not often seen. It embraces the cutting edge world of dancehall reggae sharing it with the entire world.

This movie is about a street vendor who enters a dance contest. I loved this movie. Most people might not understand what they were saying but it was not about that. Once you followed the plot, you were sure not to be misled. I saw this about 16 times on video. I am a Caribbean native and I really enjoyed it. The dancing made me learn a few things and the sound-track was of the hook! As for the characters, the street vendor, Marcia, she was very funny! The daughters, Tasha and Tanya, cool. Larry and Priest were your typical villains! The story was smooth-flowing as well. My reason for watching it over and over was to see the dancing which was very good and to hear the same jokes over and over again. 9/10

I often found the accents hard to understand. I could understand the "educated" daughter better than the street vendor mother. But the expressiveness and good acting of the star helped me out. I also enjoyed seeing a view onto a culture I wasn't familiar with. Funny how some things are universal, though. (Shady men taking advantage of poor women)The ending was poetic justice.

No fancy Hollywood production values, no special effects, not even the particularly outstanding acting grace Dancehall Queen. But the movie does have a great score - and I know nothing about reggae, wouldn't even call myself a fan. Add to that the fun of trying to make sense of the lilting Jamaican accent and you've got time well spent. The first few minutes I had no idea what anyone was saying. Somewhere along the line, and I didn't even notice transition, everyone's lines were coming through clear as a bell. It's a treat for the ears, and an interesting peek into the sometimes seamy, sometimes violent, sometimes charming life on the island.