Amongst this incredibly hectic summer movie season, one theme has become increasingly obvious, and that is the prevalence of the 3-D format for most releases. When I first saw the trailer for Step Up 3-D, I thought that Hollywood had sunk to a new low; agreed, the Step Up franchise has a pretty decent following, but this newest entry just seemed like a lame attempt to squeeze a few extra dollars from movie-goers. The dance genre has been spreading like wildfire recently, thanks largely to the original Step Up, and with the popularity of such shows as So You Think You Can Dance? and America’s Best Dance Crew, I had to admit that this newest sequel had a legitimate claim to compete in this summer movie season. While I am by no means a fan of the Step Up franchise, I can appreciate the talent and energy required to execute a complicated dance routine. Maybe if they attached a strong soundtrack to impressive routines that made innovative use of 3-D technology, this latest dance flick could be entertaining.
As the end credits began to roll, I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed Step Up 3-D. To clarify, the acting and dialogue were absolutely terrible, and the story was weak at best, but my expectations for these criteria were pretty low to begin with. I also found myself laughing quite a bit during the film, but this wasn’t due to any clever jokes or any genuine humor; I think it was just a natural expression of my subtle cynicism and sarcasm. Yet, despite these weak points, Step Up 3-D delivers exactly what audiences were promised, a dance movie. While some of the characters would break into dance as spontaneously as the cast of High School Musical breaks into song, the featured dance battles have a very complicated and visually stunning choreography, making impressive use of the 3-D technology and feeding off the energy of the accompanying music. So, in spite of my best efforts to hate the film, I found myself rooting for the main characters in the final dance battle, not because I respected their acting skill or I was able to relate to them on any level, but simply because there was something likable about a group of friends competing in an increasingly popular form of expression. Fans of 3-D and flashy routines, along with anyone who has a background in dance, will love Step Up 3-D, but to enjoy it on any level, you cannot expect anything more than a simple dance film.
For more information, please read the full review.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
On a side note, I’m in the middle of moving, so please bear with me on the timing of these reviews. The Expendables and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World coming soon!
