Getting up close in bid for dancing stardom
By Justin Lowe |
August 12, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WITH "Step Up Revolution," their second summertime at-bat after "Rock of Ages," producers Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot return to one of the things they do best - making young unknowns look like the next big thing. In its fourth installment, however, the "Step Up" franchise has traded an air of inevitability for one of predictability. While die-hard fans and dance fanatics will respond on the opening weekend, ongoing competition from superheroes and cute cartoon characters may slow momentum in subsequent weeks.
After dancing its way across Baltimore and New York City in previous iterations, "Step Up" moves to Miami, where homeboys Sean (Ryan Guzman) and Eddy (Misha Gabriel) have been best buds since toddler-hood and now lead a local dance flash mob known as, well, "The Mob," just to keep things simple. Together with their crew, including choreographers, visual artists and a DJ, the guys have been busting out surprise dance numbers all over Miami and shooting video to compete in a YouTube contest to win US$1 million.
Sean's day job as a waiter at a luxury hotel helps support his dance habit and pay the rent on the house he shares with his single-mom sister (Megan Boone) and niece. When Emily Anderson (Kathryn McCormick) turns up at the hotel - owned by her father Bill (Peter Gallagher), a ruthless real-estate developer - for a summer of bartending while preparing to audition for a coveted spot with a high-toned local dance company, attraction sparks.
As it turns out, aloof Emily needs Sean's help more than she suspects. Seems that the dance company director (Mia Michaels) thinks Emily is a talented performer but wound a bit too tightly to be truly creative. So if she wants to make it onto the roster, Emily is going to need some new moves, which she figures Sean can help deliver, once she discovers he's one of the motivators behind The Mob.
However there's one major obstacle looming over the pair's romantic bliss and professional success: Emily's dad is determined to build a new luxury development after razing the multiracial community where Sean lives and hangs out with other Mob members. Although Sean agrees to keep Emily's identity concealed while she rehearses and performs with his crew, if word gets out, his street cred will be totally shot, which could complicate that business about winning the YouTube video contest.
Making his feature-filmmaking debut, music video and TV director Scott Speer acquits himself adequately, particularly since the movie is more akin to a long-form video project.
Abercrombie & Fitch model Guzman looks every bit the metrosexual romantic lead, but also makes a credible partner for "So You Think You Can Dance" star McCormick.
Supporting cast-members are adequate if not outstanding, but it's the choreographers, led by franchise vet Jamal Sims, who put the shine on the production.
By now, however, 3-D dance performances are routine for the genre and with the exception of a few notable aerial tricks, "Revolution" doesn't offer many stylistic innovations, although the soundtrack featuring performances by Far East Movement (with an assist from Justin Bieber), M.I.A., M83, Diplo, Timbaland and J-Lo, is appropriately propulsive.
After dancing its way across Baltimore and New York City in previous iterations, "Step Up" moves to Miami, where homeboys Sean (Ryan Guzman) and Eddy (Misha Gabriel) have been best buds since toddler-hood and now lead a local dance flash mob known as, well, "The Mob," just to keep things simple. Together with their crew, including choreographers, visual artists and a DJ, the guys have been busting out surprise dance numbers all over Miami and shooting video to compete in a YouTube contest to win US$1 million.
Sean's day job as a waiter at a luxury hotel helps support his dance habit and pay the rent on the house he shares with his single-mom sister (Megan Boone) and niece. When Emily Anderson (Kathryn McCormick) turns up at the hotel - owned by her father Bill (Peter Gallagher), a ruthless real-estate developer - for a summer of bartending while preparing to audition for a coveted spot with a high-toned local dance company, attraction sparks.
As it turns out, aloof Emily needs Sean's help more than she suspects. Seems that the dance company director (Mia Michaels) thinks Emily is a talented performer but wound a bit too tightly to be truly creative. So if she wants to make it onto the roster, Emily is going to need some new moves, which she figures Sean can help deliver, once she discovers he's one of the motivators behind The Mob.
However there's one major obstacle looming over the pair's romantic bliss and professional success: Emily's dad is determined to build a new luxury development after razing the multiracial community where Sean lives and hangs out with other Mob members. Although Sean agrees to keep Emily's identity concealed while she rehearses and performs with his crew, if word gets out, his street cred will be totally shot, which could complicate that business about winning the YouTube video contest.
Making his feature-filmmaking debut, music video and TV director Scott Speer acquits himself adequately, particularly since the movie is more akin to a long-form video project.
Abercrombie & Fitch model Guzman looks every bit the metrosexual romantic lead, but also makes a credible partner for "So You Think You Can Dance" star McCormick.
Supporting cast-members are adequate if not outstanding, but it's the choreographers, led by franchise vet Jamal Sims, who put the shine on the production.
By now, however, 3-D dance performances are routine for the genre and with the exception of a few notable aerial tricks, "Revolution" doesn't offer many stylistic innovations, although the soundtrack featuring performances by Far East Movement (with an assist from Justin Bieber), M.I.A., M83, Diplo, Timbaland and J-Lo, is appropriately propulsive.
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