Step Up 3D hit theaters last Friday August 6, and was clobbered by The Other Guys in the box office. However, don’t count Step Up 3D out of this count. While critics and regular movie goers may not like the film much, dancers can unite in one theater and get pumped up as they watch some of their favorite dancers from all over the world perform on the big screen.
Step Up 3D takes the cliche dance formula and adds a little twist to it, but is it enough to win the hearts of those who come for the story? I would say no. So, if you’re looking for a good whole-hearted story that will make you laugh, cry, and feel an awe-inspiring range of emotions, then this movie is not for you. It has it’s moments that make you chuckle inside a little bit, and perhaps make you think “Huh… that’s cute.”
Step Up 3D‘s story goes like this: New York’s intense street dancing underground comes alive in eye-popping Digital 3D in the third installment of the STEP UP franchise as the raw, passion-fueled culture goes global. A tight-knit group of street dancers, including Luke (RICK MALAMBRI) and Natalie (SHARNI VINSON), team up with NYU freshman Moose (ADAM SEVANI), and find themselves pitted against the world’s best breakdancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.
Jon M. Chu returns to direct the film, and he has made quite a movement in dance movies, finding new ways to capture these amazing dancers’ movements. The script isn’t all that bad really, however it’s not the best. It follows a very formulated…. formula. Every scene is very predictable when it comes to story development, but it’s not a bad thing in this case. The story seems to flow from scene to scene. However, the dance film is very different from the previous dance films. It takes a bit of the old school musicals that have people breaking out in song and dance, except without the singing. Think more along the lines of the old school Breakin’ movies that first brought these street moves into the film; except when they break out into dance, it helps the story push forward instead of just having the characters dance just to dance. There was one scene in the film that I found rather cute, even though it may not have been needed. Adam Sevani’s character, Moose, is chatting with his best friend, Camille, who is played by Alyson Stoner’s (Camp Rock), and they break out into a 50′s style musical with a bit of the hip-hop vibe.
The acting in the film isn’t too bad, the main characters seemed to fill their parts in pretty well. The secondary characters, whom you normally wouldn’t see acting since most of them are dancers; also pulled their weight in the movie. However, the antagonist of the film really had me laughing hard inside as I was watching a failed attempt at acting from Joe Slaughter. Fortunately, his dancing made up for the acting.
The dancing is what really saves this movie. The 3D quality was actually pretty well done, though the gimmicks they used to have the dancing feel more like it’s “In you face” may have not been needed. It didn’t deter the quality of the film and dancing itself. The film brings in dancers from all over the world, over 200 dancers showed up in the film and if you know anything about dancing and dancers you’ll appreciate the faces that you find in the film. Some names you may recognize from TV or several dance battles and features. Names such as; Stephen “Twitch” Boss, the hip-hop tap dancing Lombard Twins, Vladd “Madd Chad” Smith, Kendra Andrews, and Alyson Stoner, just to name a few. These dancers bringing in their energy and amazing dance talents into this film are a real delight to see on the big screen.
If you are a dancer, you can find a lot of elements in the film that you can really appreciate. Bringing in dance styles from tap dancing, Bollywood, parkour, capoeira, ballroom, and other styles. The dancing gets a huge A+ from me, but the film itself get s a C. If you’re looking to have a good time and get pumped up enough to want to dance, this is a great film from you. However, if you’re looking for a good wholesome time and a good story, you may want to watch The Other Guys instead. Or wait for the release of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
STEP UP 3D GRADE —- C
