I'm coming into the whole STEP UP scene further down the
line than I'd like to admit. This is the first movie in the series that I've
actually watched. From what I've been able to look up this is either the fourth
film in the series. If they have all been like this then they're entertaining
enough but nothing spectacular.
This time around we have a group of young people who love to
dance and are seeking to win a competition for flash mob dancing being
sponsored on the internet. For those who don't know a flash mob involves a
group of people who prepare for a dance performance but don't have a stage to
perform on. Instead they show up unannounced with no warning and suddenly you
have a group of people burst into dance in everyday settings. When the film
opens the group stop traffic on a coastal Miami street, pop up their sound
equipment in seconds and begin dancing on top of, around and over cars in the
street. Timed to make sure they can get away without being caught, the break
down and take off.
The leader of the crew is Eddy. Not professionally trained,
Eddy works at a local hotel along with several other members of the crew. Their
current goal is to get more hits for their street performance than any other
crew and to win a large cash award and contract via the competition sponsored
online.
While on break at the hotel Eddy meets a young girl named
Penelope who has some dance moves of her own. What he doesn't know is that her
father is the owner of the hotel. Not only do we have a boy from the wrong side
of the tracks meets girl who lives in posh surroundings here, we have another
problem when Penelope's father releases the news that he intends to buy out the
neighborhood where Eddy and his friends live to turn it into a resort area.
Love will conquer all though. Even the problems that pop up
when Eddy's best friend nearly ruins the potential for the crew to win the
competition when he becomes jealous of Penelope. What he doesn't realize is
that she's on their side and that the time she's been spending with Eddy was to
help her realize her dream of performing with a high profile dance troupe there
in Miami. Sure it lead to romance but there was no plan to harm the crew.
While this set up may sound simple that's because in effect
it is simple. The story is small and the dialogue weak but that's not what
people going to see the STEP UP films are there for. They're there to watch the
young dancers spin, jump, pop up and krunk in various settings Its all about
dancing and watching some talented people do it to the best of their ability.
The plotlines here are no more in depth than the old Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland
"hey kids let's put on a show!" plots. Its all about the dancing.
That's not to say it's a bad movie. It's actually quite
entertaining. The dancing is well done and the music will have you toe tapping
in seconds. No, this is not a movie that I would mark my calendar to go see,
but as a rental for a night that will entertain, especially those who are dance
fans, you can't go wrong with this one.
Click here to order.
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