Written by Amanda Brody, based on characters created by Duane Adler.
Running Time: 100 minutes (1h, 40 mins.)
Rated PG-13 (for some suggestive dancing and language).
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
There are few dance movie franchises that have mangaged to survive on the big screen and not get put on a direct-to-DVD basis like Step Up. Sure, each entry improves on the dancing, but when it comes to everything else (you know, plot, dialogue, blah blah blah), not much is done. Hey, at least they make the bills. This fourth entry, strangely subtitled Revolution, isn't that much different.
I knew what I was getting into, despite being the only one I've seen fully on a big screen was the previous one, which was the first to be shot in the 3D format. That wasn't necessarily a good film, but it wasn't bad either. The first two I've seen when TBS plays them on a few Saturday afternoons, the time where nothing important or even watchable airs. I mean, come on. When you're spending $12 (3D price) for this kind of film, you're there for the main attraction, much in the same way you'd pay for another entry in a horror franchise like Saw or Friday the 13th. Here in the Step Up franchise, there's no inventive kills, but inventive dancing.
If I should even say inventive.
Each film has a guy and a girl wanting to dance for reasons that are range from obvious to just meh. The guy's part of a dance crew, the girl's just on her own, hoping to become a professional dancer. They meet, she joins, they dance and somewhere along the way, they fall in love. If you're new to the franchise, you're probably thinking that's it's cute. Ain't so, if you recycle that plot for four films in a row. Here, they move this plot to the sunny city of Miami, this crew called "The MOB", who set up very elaborate dance mobs to get 10 million hits on YouTube in order to receive the prize of $100,000.
While this very generic (for a movie, at least) plan is in motion, the crew's leader, Sean (Ryan Guzman) meets Emily (Kathryn McCormick), a gifted dancer who dreams of being a...you know where this is going. Her father (Peter Gallagher, whose no stranger to teen-based material) however is a real-estate tycoon who plans to build a large hotel in the neighbourhood their families and friends reside in. So, it's up to them to turn their performance art into protest art. Sooooo...no dance battles?
Yep. That's the one thing different. No reason to put this crew in various dance battles with another crew. Fine, but this new plot device ain't that good either and when you don't much of a good plot, you don't much of good performances. While few are decent (Gallagher and an appearance from Adam Sevani from the 2nd and 3rd film), most don't click mostly coming from Guzman and McCormick, the two leads. Let me put it this way: good dancers, bad actors. However, less of the blame goes to them as much as it goes to the script. It's the best one I've heard nor is it the worst, but there are many obvious moments that either close with a groan or a chuckle.
I mentioned before that the dancing is the main attraction of this series. Still is. It does have dance sequences that are undeniably impressive, three of which pop out in the 3D format, which somewhat is worth watching in.
I didn't mind Step Up Revolution. However, as impressive as the dance sequences are, the film isn't without its various faults. Generic plot, script and underwhelming acting plague the film and help solidify it as a franchise that doesn't seem willing to be creative when it comes to plot. Then again, who gives a f*** about plot in this? Yeah. That's what I thought.
Rating: 4.5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment