Step Up Revolution - Review

Step Up
Revolution
(2012)
Drama Music Romance
106 minutes

PG-13 Some suggestive dancing
Grade: C+

Director: Scott Speer
Writers: Duane Adler (characters), Jenny Mayer(screenplay)
Music: Aaron Zigman

Producers: Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot, Erik Feig, Patrick Wachsberger
 

Cast: Ryan Guzman, Kathryn McCormick, Misha Gabriel Hamilton, Stephen Boss, Megan Boone, Peter Gallagher,  More

Emily Anderson (Kathryn McCormick), the daughter of a wealthy businessman (Peter Gallagher), arrives in Miami with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer, but soon falls in love with Sean (Ryan Guzman), a young man who leads a dance crew along with his BFF since 'puppy-hood' Eddie (Misha Gabriel Hamilton) in elaborate, cutting-edge flash mobs. The crew, called the MOB, strives to win a contest for a major sponsorship opportunity, but soon Emily's father threatens to develop the MOB's historic neighborhood and displace thousands of people. Emily must band together with Sean and the MOB to turn their performance art into protest art and risk losing their dreams to fight for a greater cause.

This is the fourth installment from the highly successful Step Up franchise. Admittedly, I haven't seen any of the previous episodes. I saw it in 3D (I don't recommend it) there was nothing much that it added. The best use of the 3D was during the closing credits. The midnight showing was practically all dancers and dancer geeks. They danced their way out of the theater and continued dancing outside the theater where they repeated steps from the film and tried to show off to each other, their own special 'moves'.

I was surprised to find that for a film about today's youth culture including Hip-Hop and gang culture that I was not subjected to an hour and forty-six minuets of gutter language. No 'F' bombs, I don't even remember hearing any profanity (but no guarantee a couple didn't slip past me). There is, of course, the suggestive dancing, the same type you would see on TV's So You Think You Can Dance or Dancing With The Stars.

This is a very formulaic production. If you take a little bit of Dirty Dancing add just a little bit of Strictly Ballroom, a sprinkle of  Electric Boogaloo, a touch of  Staying Alive, a dash of Footloose, a pinch of  Fame or a little of any of dozens of other dance movies you can think of and you have the story for Step Up Revolution. It is the plight of the oh, so enlightened yet misunderstood young dancers who must fight against the injustices of 'the Man', the greedy, corrupt, close minded 'Man', this time with an added 'Occupy ___(fill in the blank)' flavor of anarchy and some 'Rules were made to be broken' arrogance and stupidity.

The choreography and the dancing are first class. If you enjoy dancing you will most likely enjoy this film for the element alone. Forget the sappy story and the cliched romance. The director has wisely kept acting to a minimum, thankfully. Acting for these dancers (and model-becomes-actor/dancer Ryan Guzman) is not their forte. The leads are attractive with great bodies and equally great moves.

 

 

 

If accept this movie for the genre that it is and you don't have great expatiation and just want to see some incredible dancing you probably won't be disappointed. It is more like an incredibly well produced, expensive, extended music video than a movie. A string of dance numbers with filler in between. For me, the most enjoyable scene is the one with all the dancers dressed in business suits.

The PLOT

I could pick it apart frame by frame. Where do minimum wage waiters etc. get the money for all their A-List sound equipment, lighting, costumes; how do they never draw any attention from the police; where do the get the time to rehearse their complex choreography; how is it that these 'regular untrained individual homies' dance like those who have dedicated their lives to countless hours of classes, training an practice. Why are all the adult roles stereotype caricatures; and why...oh, never mind...who cares about the plot. Enjoy these behind the scenes clips.