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Is it worth $10? No
The good: The 3-D in “Step Up 3D” looks great – it’s bold, striking and vivid. The bad: Everything else about the movie is terrible.
Surely the street dancing is good, you say. Maybe it is. It’s certainly physically impressive. But for a movie in which everything relies on how well someone dances, it’s a critical flaw to never explain what makes this form of dancing good or bad. There are competitions, winners and losers and judges, but we never know what the judges are looking for. It’s like a sports movie that doesn’t share the rules of the sport.
Returning from “Step Up 2: The Streets” is Moose (Adam G. Sevani), now a freshman at NYU. His parents want him to stop dancing and study engineering, which is a sure sign he’s going to keep dancing. He meets Luke (Rick Malambri), who deems Moose a natural and invites him to meet the other members of “the vault,” a commune of sorts where Luke’s friends live and dance. With $100,000 and their home on the line in an upcoming dance competition, “the vault” can use all the help it can get. Luke thinks Natalie (Sharni Vinson) can help the team as well, but she’s also his token love interest, so artificial/forced/tacky conflicts ensue.
Much of the story ignores logic, reason and accountability. Luke follows everyone around with a camera, yet wants his filmmaking aspirations to be kept a secret. Here’s an idea: If it’s a secret, don’t follow everyone around with a camera. Also, Moose clearly looks up to Luke, but Luke is a terrible influence. You’re supposed to meet your lifelong best friend (Alyson Stoner) for lunch? Blow her off to hang with me. What, you have exams? Who needs school when you can DANCE!
This is also the type of movie in which rivals bump into one another in nightclub bathrooms and dance moves determine who wins the showdown. Not sure about you, but I’ve heard this is how all tough guys are settling their fights these days.
But at least the 3-D looks great. And not for a second can you forget the movie was shot in 3-D, what with the bubbles, balloons, slushys and more flying into your face. It makes sense to use 3-D to make the dancing “jump” on screen, but why all the cheap gimmicks to go with it? Director Jon Chu clearly doesn’t know where to stop, just like his performers don’t know how to act.
For the climactic dance-off, “vault” members wear brand new outfits highlighted by electronic lighting that perfectly synchronizes their dance moves. Visually this is very impressive. Then you recall they’re supposed to be broke and fighting for their livelihood, and wonder how they can afford such extravagant outfits with no money. And then it dawns on you for the final time: Right, all that matters is looking good. It isn’t supposed to make sense.
Did you know?
This is the first 3-D feature film to be shot entirely in New York City.
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Onelovetp
said:
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... Yes it does, LOL @ DanH, they should take the hint cuz now I opt out of paying for 3-D, as through the eyes of my 10 year daughter, who said "3-D is just a scam to get more money from us",this might give it hope. And yes Airbender was the last movie I paid for in "3-D" and decided not to do that again...I guess I am going to have pay attention to how the film was shot.....before I'll pay the extra money...  |
DanH
said:
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... The difference between this and other live-action 3-D movies is that it was shot in 3-D, as opposed to "The Last Airbender," which was shot in 2-D then converted. As you can see, shooting in 3-D makes a huge difference. |
Onelovetp
said:
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... I didn't go in expecting something other then what it is a "Dance Movie" I was actually impressed that the effects were actually 3D, I shelled out that extra 3 or 4 dollars to see a movie in 3D and the movie is as flat as can be, but this you actually can see the dimensions, they brought you in the movie for moments through out the movie and that is what I thought 3-D was supposed to do, the 3-D sealed the deal but the dancing was great, I am a old head, grew-up watching break dancing movies and dancing, so for me this was great! Remember these are Dancers trying to be Actors and it's a dance movie, what would you rather great acting bad dancing, lol |
bat1645
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... I understand your point on Step UP 3D-but! The dancing was better in 3D -it popped! Good dancing is good dancing-you don't always need to know what makes the form good or bad-judging is subjective. I thought the tango group dance and the Gene Kelly inspired dance scene that Moose did reached a broader audience. The movie was the standard form -underdog vying to win the title, boy yearns for girl, gets girl in end! Usually sequels peter out and die, I thought Step UP 3D improved on the premise! |
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