Reviewed by Kate Rodger
First there was one, then there were two, now there is Step Up 3, and in 3D.
Number three is brought to us by the same director John Chu, who was at the helm of Step Up 2: The Streets, and he's decided to set this third outing in New York, New York.
The story isn’t a hard one to explain.
It’s about a group of New York City street dancers, headed up by beefcake Luke (Rick Malambri), who are trying to save their dance-studio/home from being sold under their feet.
Hot Natalie (Sharni Vinson) catches Luke's eye with her funky sexy dance moves, and along with NYU freshman Moose (Adam G. Sevani), they find themselves battling New York's best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown.
I’ll you what, he doesn’t look like much this kid Moose, there's a bit of try-hard homeboy Mickey Mouse club about him, but he's impossible not to love once he gets his groove on.
Moose isn’t alone in the rockin' it in the USA stakes. Robot-man is hard to take your eyes off, making for an incredibly useful tool the filmmakers put to excellent use; distracting the audience from the appallingly lame story and cringe-worthy pseudo-dramatic set-pieces. Focus on the dance floor people; it will get you through.
From the 3D perspective, many of the dancers played up to the cameras, and if you’re into dance, then the 3D would be worth it. As with so many films embracing the new technology, I find the efforts to make you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth can often feel a little laboured, and there were definitely moments here when that feeling kicked in.
This is one very cheesy movie, some if not almost all of the dialogue is seriously laugh out loud. But while this film may be as deep as a shallow pond, in isolation the dance sequences are astounding and the music is great. I found my foot tapping more than once.
Step Up 3D is not really my thing, but it was more than I expected, and I suspect it will nicely serve its target market.
Three and a half stars.
Step Up 3D
:: Director: Jon Chu
:: Starring: Alyson Stoner, Harry Shum Jr., Sharni Vinson, Adam G. Sevani, Ally Maki, Rick Malambri
:: Running Time: 106 mins
:: Rating: PG - contains low level offensive language
:: Release Date: August 5, 2010
:: Links: Trailer
source: newshub archive
