Review: Step Up 3D
If you've seen any of the Step Up movies, you might expect that Step Up 3D would showcase some great dancing (in 3D!) and also have some semblance of a plot. And it does! But it is carried out in a less than cohesive manner with some very lackluster acting.
The plot, as I understood it, is focused on two guys, "filmmaker" Luke (Rick Malambri) and NYU freshman Moose (Adam G. Sevani), as well as their respective love interests, Natalie (Sharni Vinson) and Camille (Alyson Stoner, also in the original Step Up). Luke owns a building, left to him by his parents, called The Vault. Here he fosters a dance group and runs a club on the floor below. He is having financial problems (of course) and is in danger of losing his building. He sees Moose dance in the park and invites him to join his dance crew, the Pirates. He tells Moose that he is BFAB: "born from a boombox" (more about this is in the documentary-style opening to the film). If Moose joins their dance team, they will surely win the World Jam dance contest and the $100,000 prize, which will save the farm -- err, I mean warehouse building.
If you are a fan of the TV show So You Think You Can Dance, you may notice some recognizable faces interspersed throughout the film. tWitch (audience fave from Season 4) is one of Luke's Pirates and has some lines; Texan Ashlee Nino (Season 2 contestant) is a Pirate as well. Another Texan, Joshua Allen (winner of Season 4) plays a House of Samurai team member who challenges Moose to a dancing duel. There are likely more former contestants I didn't recognize in the mix; plus, Harry Shum Jr. (a.k.a. Mike Chang on Glee) almost steals the show when he comes on board toward the end of the film.
Step Up 3D features some amazing dance moves, and director Jon Chu attempted to make them look even more amazing by using 3D effects. Dancers thrust their hands, throw dust and water, flip, and kick at the audience. There's even some parkour thrown in! In other areas of the movie, however, the 3D effects come off as a gimmick.
The story of main characters Luke and Natalie is trite and predictable. We don't really learn much about Natalie's character, except that she just moved home from London, has a brother, and can flip a lot. These two leads lack chemistry, and aren't even the strongest dancers in the film. Malambri is a pretty vanilla actor, and Vinson isn't much better.
In their storyline, there's a MacGuffin in the form of a poster for a generic California-based film school that is downright blatant (and left my sister and I wondering, why not NYU? They have a pretty great film school, don't they?). As far as the actor who plays the villain (Joe Slaughter)? It seems his main role is to appear daunting and make ridiculous, cliched comments. All his shallow character needs to come off as more obviously despicable is a Snidely Whiplash mustache to twirl with his finger.
The growing relationship between Moose and Camille, best friends since childhood, is handled slightly better. Sevani and Stoner make a cute couple, and their tap/1940s-era dance number in the movie is light and sweet. It's too bad this younger duo doesn't have much time together onscreen; they seemed the audience favorite at our screening.
Let's be honest -- you won't go see Step Up 3D for great acting. Overall I found the film an enjoyable experience, but this is partly because I kept giggling during some of what were supposed to be "serious," "dramatic" and "inspirational" scenes. My sister swears that while we were laughing at a certain dispute between the main couple, the woman next to her was crying. I doubt this is the norm, though. If you cry about anything, it may be because you spent too much money on your ticket to watch this movie.