STEP UP 3D – Review

Summit Entertainment | 2010 | Rated PG-13 | 107 minutes

I need to admit, I come to this movie a little biased. There is really no dance movie that I hate. So I may gush unnecessarily regarding STEP UP 3D. That being said – I am not so delusional that I can’t spot a poorly made film. STEP UP 3D brings the best and the worst. I chose not to check out this film in the 3D format offered for a couple of reasons. First – 3D gives me a ridiculous headache. Second – no dance movie (and most other movies) needs 3D to make it “better.” There were definite aspects of the film that director Jon Chu (STEP UP 2 – THE STREETS) added purely for the 3D awesomeness. Seeing them in regular 2D seemed a bit cheesy, but they did not distract too much from the overall film experience.

The original STEP UP in 2006 helped to bring dance films back to the spotlight – this combined with the success of shows like SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and DANCING WITH THE STARS, helped remind folks that dance on screen is a natural mix. The third story in the franchise focuses on Moose (Adam G. Devani) and Camille (Alyson Stoner) heading to NYU. Moose is a familiar face to those who have seen the franchise. He was featured prominently in STEP UP 2 – THE STREETS and Camille was featured in the original STEP UP film. Moose has promised his parents that he has given up on his dreams of dance and he is there to focus purely on an Engineering career. As with most films, we get a twist in the first five minutes – Moose is attracted to some dancers in the park and of course is compelled to join in. I won’t spoil the movie, but just know that the movie is HUGE on dancing and light on story.

The movie follows Luke (Rick Malambri) and his crew of dancers as they prepare to compete in the World Jam where the grand prize is $100,000. Of course the crew (The Pirates) need this money in order to save their house. The movie flows nicely from dance to dance with bits of story in between. The plot is sometimes predictable – but the battles in this film are spectacular. Chu uses nearly 200 dancers in this film and they all seem to get some pretty nice screen time. The music showcased in the film was spot on. This is a soundtrack that I would absolutely pick up.

If you are a fan of dance movies and you follow the careers of dancers such as Stephen “Twitch” Boss, Legacy, and Harry Shum Jr. – this will be a wonderful ride. If you are a casual dance fan – you will enjoy this as well. This film is not likely to win an Oscar, but it is a great summer escape. Check it out!

To order the soundtrack directly from Amazon for less, CLICK HERE.

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