Here's a little story that must be told
About a crew of dancers in days of old
Revolutionising moves to revolutionary sounds
The breakin' craze was catchin' on all around
Soon the industry caught on and built it up
Until the people on the streets had had enough
B-Boyin' was out and rap was in
Now the scene was simply gold, cash and fame
The boys felt cheated, the boys felt scorned
But the dance wasn't dead it just moved underground
They took it up in Germany and were spinning in Japan
It was slowly catching on again all around
Now this brings us up to the present day
Where a film about breakin' has come our way
So grab yourself some cardboard and make a circle
'cause The Freshest Kids'll make you wanna' break

Breakdancing, possibly the coolest thing anybody could ever be capable of. Anyone that can walk into a room, drop to the floor and start spinning on their back will have the respect of each and every soul present, as long as it's not a police station or a corporate boardroom. But it's not all glamour, each and every b-boy will tell you that it's extremely hard work, and those that choose its path have a deep line of history to respect before they can get crazy with the coolness. Because it's not just about the moves, the b-boy culture is almost entirely unto itself. It is paramount that one understands where the scene evolved from, and right now the best place you could start is with The Freshest Kids.

The program acts as a timeline of sorts, tracing the movements of the break boys from Kool Herc's house parties in the early '70s, right through its virtual demise during the mid-'80s, and up to the present day resurgence. Deftly told through revealing interviews with b-boys and hip-hop artists and accompanied by some truly spectacular archival footage, The Freshest Kids is a truly authentic and eye-opening look at the b-boy heritage. Just how much value these artists place on hip-hop culture and the way of the b-boy is clearly evident here, which in turn means that each and every interview is earnest. You can feel the passion merely minutes into the programme, and it really is a great place to be for the following 90 minutes.

Although the appeal of this feature may seem limited to hip-hop fans, it is well worth investigating if you have the chance. The soundtrack alone is reason enough, but the magnificent breakdancing footage takes the experience to a whole new level. It's not just the '80s cheese that's covered either, it follows the phenomenon right through and displays a myriad of different styles throughout.

There is a common confusion between hip-hop and rap. Many people believe them to be exactly the same thing, which has been the bane of most, if not all true hip-hop artists' existence. So if you're even slightly curious, The Freshest Kids will swiftly correct the misinformed, and have even the most anal-retentive executive whipping on the Adidas trackies and hitting the floor to bust the fresh manoeuvres.

Because the film consists primarily of either video interviews or stock footage from countless different sources, the quality of the transfer in particular is difficult to assess. The footage throughout ranges from worn out 8 and 16mm film, right through to video 8 and broadcast video. Naturally, the quality varies dramatically. There are big problems with grain, detail and colour saturation, but somehow the sheer subject nature of the program more than makes up for this. Not only that, but it is in some ways appropriate for a documentary about elements of street culture.

Even though The Freshest Kids boasts both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks, you'll be hard pressed to find much difference between them. Neither comes close to offering much in the way of dynamic surround sound. The format is basically dialogue and background music, with only the latter going any kind of distance towards fulfilling the qualifications of a satisfying surround sound experience. Even then, the soundtrack rarely makes use of the surround speakers, keeping most of the transfer focused in front. While the dialogue is mostly clear, the nature of the footage means that some of it can sound a tad muffled from time to time.

If the feature leaves you wanting more footage of breaking, then the extras included here will be a blessing. Most of the extra material takes its form as various pieces of breakdancing footage, including Highlight Reels, Never-Before-Seen Footage of street performances and Uncut B-Boy Battles. There is also a healthy load of extra Interviews and a collection of underground Music Videos, as well as The Hand of Hip-Hop featurette, B-Boy Spotlights, a Photo Gallery and a four-page Booklet with a B-Boy timeline. All in all, this is a superbly satisfying collection of extras that complement the feature perfectly.

The Freshest Kids is a remarkable documentary, surely one of the finest street music/culture based programs in recent years. It'll certainly fulfil the cravings of any hip-hop fan, but it should rightfully cross more boundaries than that. Do yourself a fa... fa... favour.