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I have to confess I’ve not seen either of the first two Step Up flicks (namely, because I didn’t expect much beyond dumbed-down plots and the occasional fancy footwork I frankly wasn’t cool enough to appreciate and/or understand), but I believe sequels should, generally, stand on their own… plain and simple. And since those first two street-dancing installments were released, I must admit that, tangentially, I’ve become a much bigger fan of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance?” over the past couple of seasons, be it the amazing athleticism / global dance skills on display, the top-notch choreography, the (sometimes) professional judges’ advice (GET RID OF MIA!), or just the fact that there really isn’t anything else on TV during the summer (OK, I’m not that jaded)!
One of the show’s regular judges is Adam Shankman, who also happens to be one of the producers behind the Step Up franchise. I’m told he’s utilized several past SYTYCD contestants for the other two films, and this latest venture — in 3D no less — is no different. I was actually quite glad to see two of my favorites — hip-hopster Stephen “tWitch” Boss (who should not quit his day job just yet) and (way under-utilized) B-boy Jonathan “Legacy” Perez — right off the bat, both part of someone’s attempt at making a “dance as life” documentary. That “someone” turns out to be an Ashton Kutcher look-a-like named Luke (Rick Malambri, Surrogates) who’s brought together a racially-diverse (because it couldn’t be anything but) group of dancers (The Pirates) — including quasi-accountant Jacob (Keith Stallworth, from CBS-TV’s “CSI: NY”), fiery red-head Anala (Kendra Andrews, Farewell Colette), electronics guru Jason (Boss), and fast-talkin’ comic relief Santiago Twins (MartÃn and Facundo Lombard, Sublevados) — to live in a sort of dance-artist colony in an old warehouse in downtown NYC. Luke’s group is training up for the “World Jam” dance contest with the top prize being $100K — seems simple enough, right? Now it’s just a matter of watching some truly incredible dance talent for the next… oh… hour and 15 minutes (because, let’s face it, that SHOULD be about the extent for a film of this nature), true? Au contraire, mon amies!
No, the MULTIPLE plotlines (and two-hour runtime… ugh!) begin to spiral largely out of control of anybody — and that means especially director Jon Chu (who also helmed Step Up 2: The Streets… groan) — when we find out that Luke’s about to lose financial control of the loft (he’s in arrears some five months on the mortgage; hey, it’s still the real world no matter how much you try to deny it). He and his team must qualify for and win the National Dodgeball Championship in order to keep their gym (OOPS… but it’s the exact same thing). And then there’s Luke’s potential love interest in the mysterious vagabond Natalie (Sharni Vinson, from CBS-TV’s “Cold Case”) who encourages Luke to pursue his dream of filmmaking. And then there’s Natalie’s little secret (no, I won’t spoil it, but it’s obvious if you live and breathe). And then there’s goofy (and damned weird-looking) new NYU student Moose (Adam Sevani, reprising his role from Part 2) who’s, in reality, a steppin’ genius (and, I’m convinced, is the reincarnation of Michael Jackson, despite the fact that Sevani was born 17 years before Jackson’s tragic passing in 2009); he even breaks out into a couple of dance numbers that were meant to do nothing more than remind of us MJ videos (“Thriller” came to mind in one of them immediately). And then there’s Moose’s platonic (or not) relationship with childhood friend Camille (Alyson Stoner, reprising her role from Part 1) that could be in trouble. And then there’s Moose torn between his pursuit of an electrical engineering degree and dance (even ditching class to join Luke’s rehearsal meetings at the drop of a fedora). And then there’s the evil dance troupe The Samurai lead by hunky werewolf (not really… but it’s the same damned thing) Julien (Joe Slaughter, “CSI: NY”) who could be the pressure behind the bank wanting to foreclose on Luke AND, of course, The Pirates’ ultimate rival at the competition. And then there’s… THE 5% WORTH OF ACTUAL STEPPING UP that’s the only interesting part of the whole affair (after having to sift thru the stark stupidity of storylines). It’s one thing if you build narratives based on worthwhile characters with ACTING (not just dancing) talent behind them; you don’t have that here, Chu (or someone else) should have realized that, so let’s get on with the STEPPING, for crying out loud! No, we’re left to flounder in fake profundity and numerous “aw shucks” moments that had my eyes rolling right outta the sockets (what a lovely picture I paint) by the time it was all said, and said, and said…. and hardly done.
Like I said, the only good to come of this are some nicely choreographed & staged numbers — especially when things are in focus — escalated by some nifty 3D trickery (splashing water, flying dust, twirling Icee slush, and floating bubbles); it’s the only time the annoying little people (and their innumerable problems) are tolerable — we don’t have to hear them, we just have to watch them. Shouldn’t THAT be what this genres all about?
From early childhood, Steve has been a fan of films. He decorated his room with homemade movie posters (which ultimately evolved into another hobby... movie-poster collecting), ticket stubs, and other cinema paraphernalia. His goal was always "Opening Day / Front of the Line!" And if the film was good, there was no limit to the number of repeat viewings, committing much of the dialogue to memory in the process.
Always up for a good action or sci-fi flick, Steve is just as "at home" with a solid romance, comedy, documentary, or indie. It seemed only natural that he became a critic, having written reviews for his company, Ericsson, since 1998.
Steve resides in the Dallas area and is proud to be a native Texan. 
